Exaltation
collective noun /ˌɛɡzɔːlˈteɪʃən/ — What you call a group of larks — one of the most beautiful words in the English language.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of larks — skylarks in particular are known for their ascending song-flight, rising while singing, which inspired one of the most beautiful words in English collective noun tradition.
Beyond the definition
The skylark rises straight up from the ground, singing as it climbs — sometimes to 300 metres — and then descends in silence. A group of larks doing this together is, genuinely, an exaltation. The word was chosen not for irony but for accuracy. It is exactly what you feel watching them.
Origin & history
From Latin exaltare — to raise high, to lift up (ex- 'out of' + altus 'high'). The collective noun appears in the 15th-century 'Book of Saint Albans' — a medieval guide to hunting and heraldry that standardised many collective nouns still used today.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
An exaltation of larks rose from the field as the tractor turned at the hedge.
She'd read the word a dozen times but hearing an exaltation in person was something else entirely.
The old poets wrote of exaltations of larks the way moderns write of peak experiences.
Synonyms
flock, group, bevy, flight
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
An exaltation of larks
An exaltation of larks gathered on the open ground to feed.
Exaltation names a group of larks. These are horned larks foraging on the ground, not skylarks performing the ascending song-flight associated with the name.
Image credit: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; full composition retained.