A Noun is a naming word.

• Every person, place or thing is identified with a name, without which we would not be able to communicate or understand one another.
• There are four types of nouns: Common Nouns, Proper Nouns, Abstract Nouns and Collective Nouns.

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Collective Nouns

A Collective Noun is the name of a collection or a group of objects, people or creatures:

a flight of stairs
a gaggle of geese
a string of pearls

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• A collective noun is a descriptive way of saying 'lots of...' (Avoid saying 'lots of' as this is slang.)
• We may use the collective noun without the noun to which it refers:
  The Staff (of teachers) was unanimous in its decision.
• Many accepted lists of collective nouns are available, but it is exciting to try to create your own. These will not be found in books e.g. a chatter of staff members, a bumble of bees, a waddle of ducks.

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Some Collective nouns

• an academy of performers/students
• an anthology of poems
• an aquarium/catch/school/shoal of fish
• an archpelago of islands
• an arrangement/bunch/bouquet/vase of flowers
• an array/rainbow of colours
• an audience of spectators
• an aviary of birds

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Source: EBH Joubert: English Grammar: Collective Nouns