I. kənˈjest verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin congestus, past participle of congerere to bring together, from com- + gerere to bear, carry — more at cast
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to gather into a mass : collect , amass
2. : to overcrowd, overburden, or fill to excess so as to obstruct (as movement) or hinder (as the functioning of an organ) : clog , choke
convoys congested all arterial highways
the illness congested his lungs
: concentrate especially by constricting or crowding in a small or narrow space
motor transportation … has succeeded the railroad as the most powerful tool for either distributing or congesting the population — Lewis Mumford
intransitive verb
: to crowd or mass together (as in a small or narrow space)
clutched each other and congested in hard knots — Robert Hazel
II. ˈkänˌjest noun
( -s )
Irish : an inhabitant of a congested district