Proper name for a group of zombies?

[V1PERzero]

A murder of zombies perhaps?

[charlie fox]

A pile

[JarheadNY]

Joining the fray a bit late; I think we may be looking at this from an inappropriate perspective.

Bear with me if you will.

I think the whole issue revolves around the subject of volition. Are Zombies truly sentient? Are they capable of zombie/zombie communication? Can they convey complex concepts among themselves? Can they convey any concepts among themselves. Among others outside their status? Is the term dialogue applicable to their congress?

I tend to think of them in lowest common denominator terms. They are animate, but not alive. They are capable of utterance, but is the noise communication? I tend to think not.

When I consider zombies, I am constrained to think in terms relating to infections; like:

Cluster, Outbreak, Node, Vector, etc. Carrier, Dormancy, Incubation. Immunity?

Much to consider, eh?

Greg

[V1PERzero]

Joining the fray a bit late; I think we may be looking at this from an inappropriate perspective.

Bear with me if you will.

I think the whole issue revolves around the subject of volition. Are Zombies truly sentient? Are they capable of zombie/zombie communication? Can they convey complex concepts among themselves? Can they convey any concepts among themselves. Among others outside their status? Is the term dialogue applicable to their congress?

I tend to think of them in lowest common denominator terms. They are animate, but not alive. They are capable of utterance, but is the noise communication? I tend to think not.

When I consider zombies, I am constrained to think in terms relating to infections; like:

Cluster, Outbreak, Node, Vector, etc. Carrier, Dormancy, Incubation. Immunity?

Much to consider, eh?

Greg

You have a great point.

[Vampire]

Joining the fray a bit late; I think we may be looking at this from an inappropriate perspective.

Bear with me if you will.

I think the whole issue revolves around the subject of volition. Are Zombies truly sentient? Are they capable of zombie/zombie communication? Can they convey complex concepts among themselves? Can they convey any concepts among themselves. Among others outside their status? Is the term dialogue applicable to their congress?

I tend to think of them in lowest common denominator terms. They are animate, but not alive. They are capable of utterance, but is the noise communication? I tend to think not.

When I consider zombies, I am constrained to think in terms relating to infections; like:

Cluster, Outbreak, Node, Vector, etc. Carrier, Dormancy, Incubation. Immunity?

Much to consider, eh?

Greg

Zombies tend to gather in groups, they attract eachother, either by sound, smell or "looking like a zombie", either way it counts as communication.

[The Frank]

I think the term "shitstorm" should be limited to describe fast zombies. Probably a large group of twenty or more. Shitstorm brings images of strong winds and windows/people being violently pelted by shit falling from a brown sky, and a bunch of running, rotting zombies fits that image very well. But a bunch of moaning, staggering dead does not evoke a similar feeling.

I concur that a stagger is good for a small group of slow zombies, though.

You guys have NO idea how much I laughed while reading this thread from the beginning.

[Pshrynk]

Joining the fray a bit late; I think we may be looking at this from an inappropriate perspective.

Bear with me if you will.

I think the whole issue revolves around the subject of volition. Are Zombies truly sentient? Are they capable of zombie/zombie communication? Can they convey complex concepts among themselves? Can they convey any concepts among themselves. Among others outside their status? Is the term dialogue applicable to their congress?

I tend to think of them in lowest common denominator terms. They are animate, but not alive. They are capable of utterance, but is the noise communication? I tend to think not.

When I consider zombies, I am constrained to think in terms relating to infections; like:

Cluster, Outbreak, Node, Vector, etc. Carrier, Dormancy, Incubation. Immunity?

Much to consider, eh?

Greg

Excellent synopsis.

Perhaps a contagion of zombies?

a plague of zombies?

a blight of zombies?

[Grin Reaper]

I will never get tired of this thread!

[Heart of the Moon]

Hmmm. A group of people wandering with empty eyes, slack jaws, blood on their hands, and showing signs of having a very short vocabulary... Perhaps we should call them an Emo of zombies.

[Grin Reaper]

Hmmm. A group of people wandering with empty eyes, slack jaws, blood on their hands, and showing signs of having a very short vocabulary... Parhaps we should call them an Emo of zombies.

^^^^ WIN!

[Windwalker]

an Emo of Zombies wins for me.

That rocks.

[backoffzack]

I'm new and this thread looks like a helluva lot of fun, so at the risk of beating a dead Zed....

Personally, I prefer the term "Zack." It's nice because you don't have to worry about the actual term designating the number. Examples: "This place is crawling with Zack," "Lookouts just confirmed visual on Zack on the western perimeter." You can always follow up to designate the number.

As far as the ideas already submitted, my vote goes for "stagger," "shamble" and "dread." I would pick shamble over stagger because it's more indicative of the way Zack moves. I like dread because that's exactly what you would feel upon viewing.

I don't see why any term has to denote the number of actual Zs in the group. It would be pointless to assign a number to each term, it's just more a team member would have to memorize.

[Apocalyps3]

doesn't really matter what you call em, they all look the same with a bullet between the eyes

[Weeman]

Late joiner Too,

When i fisrt looked at the title, "Shuffle" came into mind, and "Shit Load"
Depending on the severity of the oncoming amount.
in Evil dead 3, the approaching undead were reffered to as an "Army" maybe due to the sheer amount of the deadites.
Where as,

So..
Single - Loner Zombite
handfull - Gang
Small Group - Shuffle / Stagger
Big Group - Horde
Unstoppable Amount - Army / Shit Load
Bigger than that (Like a City) - I'd be to busy shitting my pants to think

This is my Opinion

[Necrowerx]

I'll give my vote for "Stagger", "Grave", and "Horde", depending on the number, for traditional slow zombies.
2 - 12 = a stagger (if between 13 and 25, it's two staggers)
25 - 50 = a grave (if between 51 and 99, two graves)
100 + = a horde

1) "Sir, there's just a stagger of 'em out there, I can take 'em all out in about a minute w/ the sniper rifle"
2) "Sgt,, there's two staggers outside, maybe a grave, go topside and take 2 or 3 of your best sharpshooters and be quick about it"
3) "Men, we're looking at a full grave out there, maybe more - look sharp! Everyone to arms!"
4) "F_ this, there's a goddam horde out there - Bug out!!"

I also like "Rage" for the fast zombies.
"Rage", "Swarm" and "Anarchy" - same numbers. More serious responses though.

[firerat]

I'd like to call them:

"A fucking shitload of re-animated moaning corpses coming to eat me and my loved ones turning us into the same moaning flesh eating menace."

That or Gaggle.

[Murf]

I don't know why, but my first instinct was "pod." After that, "shamble" came to mind.

[Giacomo]

My vote is for either covey, coterie or a throng. I figure those sounded good because it means a group but it lacks anything that makes it sound like some organized group. Since zacks wouldn't really have any system of hierarchy as far as we know.

[FrozenD.Cyclone]

After reading this I think it would be best for small groups to be called a stagger and large groups to be called hordes. breaking it down any further than that gets confusing.

I am thinking the cut off should be 50ish

[Necrowerx]

After reading this I think it would be best for small groups to be called a stagger and large groups to be called hordes. breaking it down any further than that gets confusing.

I am thinking the cut off should be 50ish

Eh, works for me.

[Zombie Survivor]

Maybe a cluster? Depending on if they are in a group.

[Jeriah]

I see the idea of "stagger" but it sounds weird to me to use a verb as a plural noun. Not that it's unique, but just seems weird. This also applies to using nouns with other meanings, like "clown" or whatever: nobody actually refers to a murder of crows unless they're trying to be poetic/Gothy/ironic/clever. Bird researchers and ornithologists call a group of crows a "flock," because "murder" sounds silly.

I would suggest that "horde" is a perfect word for a large group, and "pack" would fit for a small group. "Pack" implies cooperative strategy, like wolves, which is inaccurate re: most zombie fiction, but I can live with it.

[enamoradodeti88]

Whatever happened to simplicity?? The things that come natural?? ex.
"Holy fu#k bro!! There's a shitload of zombies coming this way!!"

Thank you, I take checks...lol

[Katana Defense]

Let me paraphrase. If they formed a settlement. A main area where they actually reside, not unlike a beehive, or a tree filled with termites.

But bees and termites DO work together. There has been no proof that zombies do anything coordinated. They are just drawn to the same targets so they appear to work together.

In fact, it's almost like they're oblivious to one another's existence, for they make no attempt to take the kill for themselves and all commence in eating it with no 'alpha-male' coming to get to feast first.

And yea, a shitload does seem like a nice term for them. Or you could refer to them as 'Dem Bitches'