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DictionaryRoot: hierde
Old English

hierde

keeper of a flock

1 / 1
A working shepherd guides a small flock through an open pasture gate, using a crook and an outstretched arm to keep a straying lamb with the sheep.
noun / verb

shepherd

SHEP-erd/ˈʃepərd/

Someone who guides and protects a flock of sheep.

Etymology
shepOld Englishshape, form, or a created thing
+herdOld Englishkeeper of a flock

The compound names a sheep-keeper: its second piece denotes the person caring for a flock, not the flock itself. The modern sense preserves that original occupation of tending and guarding sheep.

Full entry

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