What does volery mean?
Volery is a rare noun denoting a flock or flight of birds, with a particularly strong association with pigeons. It can describe the group as a whole or the collective movement of the birds through the air: a “volery of pigeons” might rise together, wheel overhead, or settle around a building. The word is more evocative than the neutral “flock,” suggesting a conspicuous gathering in flight, but it is not the normal modern choice for a generic group of birds. “Flight” and “flock” are usually more familiar and flexible in contemporary usage. Volery is therefore especially useful in literary descriptions of birds, in historical writing, and in contexts involving pigeons or pigeon keeping. Its unusual sound and its long history give it an antique flavor, although it remains understandable in both British and American English.
nounA flock or flight of birds, especially pigeons.
- A flock or flight of birds, especially pigeons.
"A volery of pigeons swept across the pale morning sky."
"A volery of pigeons circled above the town square."
"The keeper released a volery of birds into the evening sky."
The regular plural is formed by adding -ies to the singular.
"Several voleries of starlings passed over the harbor."
A volery is a sky in motion: a gathering of birds, especially pigeons, sharing the same air.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of volery
The English noun volery comes through Middle French volerie, meaning a flight or flock of birds, from voler, “to fly.” Voler ultimately derives from Latin volare, “to fly.” English volley was borrowed separately from French volée, meaning a simultaneous discharge or flight of arrows, but it belongs to the same French and Latin etymological family.
Related word forms
How volery is actually used
Rare and somewhat literary or specialist; in ordinary modern English, “flock” or “flight” is more usual.
Easily confused with volery
A volley is a shot or group of simultaneous shots or blows, whereas a volery is a flock or flight of birds.