bellwether of the flock
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A jocose and rather deprecatory term applied to the leader of a party. The allusion is to the wether or sheep which leads the flock with a bell fastened to its neck.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bellwether of the flock” mean?
A jocose and rather deprecatory term applied to the leader of a party. The allusion is to the wether or sheep which leads the flock with a bell fastened to its neck.
Is “bellwether of the flock” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.