(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a large group of people who have gathered together, for example to watch or listen to something interesting, or to protest about something.
A huge ~ gathered in a square outside the Kremlin walls...
The ~ were enormously enthusiastic...
The explosions took place in shopping centres as ~s of people were shopping for Mothers’ Day.
= throng
N-COUNT-COLL: oft N of n
2.
A particular ~ is a group of friends, or a set of people who share the same interests or job. (INFORMAL)
All the old ~ have come out for this occasion.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
3.
When people ~ around someone or something, they gather closely together around them.
The hungry refugees ~ed around the tractors...
Police blocked off the road as hotel staff and guests ~ed around.
= cluster
VERB: V round/around n, V round/around
4.
If people ~ into a place or are ~ed into a place, large numbers of them enter it so that it becomes very full.
Hundreds of thousands of people have ~ed into the center of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius...
One group of journalists were ~ed into a minibus...
‘Bravo, bravo,’ chanted party workers ~ed in the main hall.
= pack, cram
VERB: V into n, be V-ed into n, V-ed
5.
If a group of people ~ a place, there are so many of them there that it is full.
Thousands of demonstrators ~ed the streets shouting slogans.
= pack
VERB: V n
6.
If people ~ you, they stand very closely around you trying to see or speak to you, so that you feel uncomfortable.
It had been a tense, restless day with people ~ing her all the time.
VERB: V n