Past tense of drove: to move cattle or sheep in a large group from one place to another.
From 'drive' plus -ed past tense ending, but 'drove' as a noun (meaning a group of animals being driven) comes from Old English 'draf', related to driving cattle.
The word 'drove' has two meanings that come from the same root—a group of animals AND the past tense of drive—showing how a single action (driving animals) created both uses!
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