shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd How to pronounce shepherd (audio)
1
: a person who tends sheep
2
: pastor
3

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1
: to tend as a shepherd
2
: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd
shepherded the bill through Congress

Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb She carefully shepherded the children across the street. They shepherded the bill through Congress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The film follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025 Spencer created a dog with the intelligence and beauty of a wolf mixed with the trainability and willingness to please that German shepherds exhibit. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
Bickerstaff is getting so much out of his veteran journeymen (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr.) and has shepherded the ascents of the youth (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson). Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 Each bottling was shepherded by Alex Thomas, the distillery’s first female Master Blender. David Thomas Tao, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shepherd

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shepherd was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shepherd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shepherd. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun
shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd How to pronounce shepherd (audio)
1
: a person who takes care of sheep
2

shepherd

2 of 2 verb
: to care for as or as if a shepherd

More from Merriam-Webster on shepherd

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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