[group] n, often attrib [F groupe, fr. It gruppo, of Gmc origin; akin to OHG kropf craw--more at crop] (1686) 1: two or more figures forming a complete unit in a composition
2. a: a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship b: an assemblage of objects regarded as a unit c (1): a military unit consisting of a headquarters and attached battalions (2): a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than a squadron and lower than a wing 3 a: an assemblage of related organisms--often used to avoid taxonomic connotations when the kind or degree of relationship is not clearly defined b (1): two or more atoms joined together or sometimes a single atom forming part of a molecule; esp: functional group "a methyl ~" (2): an assemblage of elements forming one of the vertical columns of the periodic table c: a stratigraphic division comprising rocks deposited during an era
4: a mathematical set that is closed under a binary associative operation, contains an identity element, and has an inverse for every element
[2]group vt (1718) 1: to combine in a group
2: to assign to a group: classify ~ vi 1: to form a group
2: to belong to a group
3: to make groups of closely spaced hits on a target "the gun ~ed beautifully --R. C. Ruark" -- group.able adj