(~s, huddling, ~d)
1.
If you ~ somewhere, you sit, stand, or lie there holding your arms and legs close to your body, usually because you are cold or frightened.
She ~d inside the porch as she rang the bell...
Myrtle sat ~d on the side of the bed, weeping.
= hunch
VERB: V prep/adv, V-ed
2.
If people ~ together or ~ round something, they stand, sit, or lie close to each other, usually because they all feel cold or frightened.
Tired and lost, we ~d together...
The survivors spent the night ~d around bonfires.
VERB: V adv/prep, V-ed
3.
If people ~ in a group, they gather together to discuss something quietly or secretly.
Off to one side, Sticht, Macomber, Jordan, and Kreps ~d to discuss something...
The president has been huddling with his most senior aides...
Mrs Clinton was ~d with advisers at her headquarters.
V-RECIP: pl-n V, V with n, V-ed
4.
A ~ is a small group of people or things that are standing very close together or lying on top of each other, usually in a disorganized way.
We lay there: a ~ of bodies, gasping for air...
N-COUNT: oft N of n