flower of the flock
- idiom
- Archaic
- Of all the students in her class, Jessica was considered the flower of the flock.
Examples
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Many believe their captain is truly the flower of the flock on the team.
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She is the flower of the flock in our class.
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His generosity and leadership made him the flower of the flock in his community.
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In the team, Jake is truly the flower of the flock.
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His generosity and leadership made him the flower of the flock in his community.
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Many believe their captain is truly the flower of the flock on the team.
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Of all the students in her class, Jessica was considered the flower of the flock.
Synonyms
The very best people or things in a group
The best or most wanted one in a group, like the strongest puppy
The person or thing that is better than all others in a group
A person who is better than all others in a group
How Outstanding
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'flower' (peak, prime) and 'flock' (a group) together point to a metaphorical sense of 'the finest or most admirable member of a group', so a learner who knows these senses can plausibly infer the intended meaning. However, this relies on recognizing a figurative use of 'flower' applied to people—a metaphorical extension that is cross-linguistically possible but not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Flower of the flock may come from a simple picture: a single bright flower standing out among a group called a flock. This image shows why it means 'the best or most admired person' in a group.