What is the Difference Between Hoard and Horde?

Using the right words to express feelings or describe a situation is imperative. If the term being used misses a letter or two, it will go down as a spelling mistake. But if that error in spelling results in the formation of a new word altogether, the entire meaning of the sentence could change.

The words “hoard” and “horde” are similar in spellings and identical in the way they’re pronounced, but they do not mean the same thing. Though both denote a “collection” or “assemblage”, “hoard” is used in relation to objects or items, while “horde” deals with living beings.

As their base meanings are quite similar, it is common to see people using the two words interchangeably or misusing the two terms. As someone who takes pride in their English writing skills, make sure you don’t fumble between the two. To learn more on the topic or the meanings and differences between “hoard” and “horde”, keep reading.

“Hoard” – Definition

Rooted in “hord”, the Old English term that dates back to 900, the word “hoard” means “to accumulate” or “collect” something valuable. The item “preserved” or “hidden away” for later use typically has some monetary and/or sentimental value.

Not exactly a synonym, but a word comparable to “hoard” in essence is “cache”. The word “stockpile”, however, can be considered as the synonym of “hoard”.

The term “hoard” could also denote deposits found from various ancient civilizations, preserved for financial and/or ritual purposes.

Like humans, animals are known for their “hoarding” tendencies or the routine act of stowing away a large amount of surplus goods for future usage.

Though not meaning the exact same thing, a “savings account” is also a form of “hoarding” or “hoard”. However, unlike conventional hoarding, a bank account is not “secretive”, unless and until the money is deposited in a bank in some tax haven.

The primary reason people or animals “hoard” is “financial security”, as it’s evident in the case of bank deposits. But there could be a few other reasons behind the act too, which include:

• Concerns over wastage
• Objects holding sentimental value
• No proper storage facility found elsewhere

The word “hoard” could also mean “keeping your intentions or thoughts a secret”.

Also, it is important to note that “hoarde” is not a word at all, but can often be confused and used incorrectly for hoard or horde.

“Horde” – Definition

The term “horde” refers to “a throng, crowd, or swarm of fierce or wild people” or “a crew or gang”. The word has its roots in “urda”, a Tatar word that means “royal camp”.

“Horde” was first employed in English during the 16th century, denoting Genghis Khan’s descendants’ organizations.

When first used as a word in English, “horde” signified “nomadic warrior tribes”. Over a period, the word assumed its current description or meaning.

Using the Word “Hoard” in Writings

The term “hoard” can be used either as a noun or as a verb. As a noun, the word is used to denote a collection of animals or objects. However, when incorporated as a verb”hoard” refers to the “act of collecting” those animals or objects. Here are a few sentences illustrating that point:

• The man stumbled upon possibly the greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure hoards ever discovered in the country. (Noun)
• Emily hoarded her stamp and coin collections in the safe deposit box, pretty certain her kids would fancy selling them after her passing. (Verb)
• Michael had a hoard of cows on his farm – most of them grazing freely. (Noun)

At times, the term “hoarding” could negatively connotate, mainly if the “hoarded” item is considered unpleasant or worthless. For example:

• The man has been hoarding old newspapers in his basement for the past 20 years.

Old newspapers aren’t usually considered “valuable”, and, therefore, hoarding them is not the most sensible thing to do.

The term “hoard” can also be used figuratively; however, the usage can be considered archaic /old-fashioned. Here is a couple of example sentences using “hoard” allegorically:

• Do not hoard love in your heart: let it out freely.
• Letting your emotions out is better than hoarding them in.

Using the Term “Horde” in Texts

Unlike “hoard”, “horde” is not multi-faceted. In other words, the term always refers to “a big group of living animals or humans”. Here are a few sentences demonstrating the same:

• The company’s new video game attracted casual gamers in hordes.
• When the bell rang, teachers came out of the room in hordes.

As mentioned earlier, “horde” could also denote packs or swarms of animals – particularly mosquitoes, wasps, and several other flying insects. For example:

• The bee horde ruined their picnic in the woods.

“Horde” could also be a part of a proper noun or an actual name. For example:

• The Golden Horde was the Mongol Empire’s khanate, a political entity.

Not to mention, the term “horde” usually refers to an unruly or uncontrollable group of people or animals. “Horde” can also be “derogatory” in nature. “Hordes” are invariably construed as “mad” and “roving”. The term should, therefore, be employed in sentences with care.

Here is a sentence illustrating that:

• It means angry and violent hordes of people are parading victims through the city’s streets.

Kindly note, “horde” and “herd” are not the same, or they aren’t variations or synonyms of each other. “Herd” is the name given to a group of hoofed mammals, such as hippopotamuses, giraffes, camels, goats, sheep, cattle, etc.

Distinguishing Between “Hoard” and “Horde”

Thanks to their identical pronunciations and extremely similar spellings, it’s not that difficult to confuse between “horde” and “hoard”. Adding to the confusion is their similar meanings. While “hoard” means “collections of items or things”, “horde” denotes “large groups, mobs of people, or crowds”.

Here are a few tricks to easily differentiate between the two:

• Remember that a “hoard” can be hidden away or kept beneath a floorboard. A “horde”, on the other hand, isn’t something that can be secreted.
• The term “horde” denotes “living beings”. A “hoard”, on the other hand, is always used in relation with inanimate objects that are usually worth treasuring.
• Ascertain the kind of word needed in a sentence. Unlike “hoard”, which can function both as a noun and a verb, “horde” can only be used as a noun. Therefore, if the word you’re looking for is a verb and you are stuck between “hoard” and “horde”, the former is the correct term to use.
• Also, “horde” has the letter “e” in it, and “hoard” has an “a” instead. Keep this in mind if you’re not sure of their spellings. Also, you can correlate the “a” in “hoard” to the act of “accumulating” or “gathering”, to help with recollecting the term.

The “hoarding” of items is not as dangerous as bees entering your apartment in “hordes”.

Example Sentences with the Word “Hoard”

The following are sentences that incorporate “hoard” either as a noun or as a verb:

• The king was rumored to keep a treasure hoard beneath the castle’s dungeon.
• She has been hoarding broken vintage watches since her teens.
• The king hoarded all the gold, determined not to give it to anybody in the family.
• The pirates headed back to their caves to retrieve their hoard.
• The dragon slept atop the vast hoard of jewels.
• The ancient Greek sculptures he found represented the biggest hoard of their kind.
• Some of them hoard food as some kind of a routine.
• The coroner ruled the hoard of smuggled gold coins to be returned to their legal owners.
• Among his political clan, he seems to have the biggest personal hoard of gold and cash.
• Archaeologists found the tomb was built on a hoard of valuable metals.
• Fearing a disaster, the family hoarded enough bottled water and canned goods to fill the entire shed.
• Most citizens tend to hoard bread and milk when there’s a snowstorm in the offing.
• If you can, consider donating a portion of your hoard to people who need it more than you.
• The hoard’s gross value is more than $500,000.
• Bank interest rates are going down as people are continually hoarding cash.

Example Sentences with the Word “Horde”

Here are some sentences incorporating the term “horde”:

• The celebrity fled the scene right after a horde of her fans gathered at the place.
• Different nomadic hordes constituted the tribe.
• A horde of football fans crowded the streets the night before the final.
• A horde of protestors blocked the tower’s entrance gate.
• Players must fight the zombie horde to progress in the game.
• On Black Friday, the store saw people pushing at each other in hordes.
• If you don’t like crowds, you should seriously reconsider your decision to head to the store in person on Black Friday when buyers are likely to flock to the place in hordes.
• As darkness set in, the ladies stirred vats of beef stew and semolina for the visitors arriving in hordes.

Conclusion

Though it’s not exactly clear what purpose “homophones” serve, they certainly succeed at confusing more than just a few English language writers and speakers.

If “hoard” and “horde” made your head spin, they should not do so going forward – after having learned the actual meanings of the terms and how to differentiate between the two in texts.

Bookmark this article to refresh your memory if you get confused between “hoard” and “horde” again. By pinning it up, you’ll at least save time and effort not scouring the Internet for information.