(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ of people or things is a number of people or things which are together in one place at one time.
The trouble involved a small ~ of football supporters...
The students work in ~s on complex problems.
N-COUNT-COLL: oft N of n
2.
A ~ is a set of people who have the same interests or aims, and who organize themselves to work or act together.
...the Minority Rights Group...
Members of an environmental ~ are staging a protest inside a chemical plant.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
3.
A ~ is a set of people, organizations, or things which are considered together because they have something in common.
She is among the most promising players in her age ~...
As a ~, today’s old people are still relatively deprived.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
4.
A ~ is a number of separate commercial or industrial firms which all have the same owner. (BUSINESS)
The ~ made a pre-tax profit of ?1.05 million.
...a French-based insurance ~.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
5.
A ~ is a number of musicians who perform together, especially ones who play popular music.
At school he played bass in a pop ~ called The Urge.
...Billy Bragg’s backing ~.
= band
N-COUNT
6.
If a number of things or people are ~ed together or ~ together, they are together in one place or within one organization or system.
The fact sheets are ~ed into seven sections...
The G-7 organization ~s together the world’s seven leading industrialized nations...
We want to encourage them to ~ together to act as a big purchaser.
VERB: be V-ed prep, V pl-n with together , V together , also V n prep
7.
see also ~ing , blood ~ , ginger ~ , pressure ~