n. & v.
n. 1 a close group or bunch of similar things growing together. 2 a close group or swarm of people, animals, faint stars, gems, etc. 3 a group of successive consonants or vowels.
v. 1 tr. bring into a cluster or clusters. 2 intr. be or come into a cluster or clusters. 3 intr. (foll. by round, around) gather, congregate. cluster bomb an anti-personnel bomb spraying pellets on impact. cluster pine a Mediterranean pine Pinus pinaster with clustered cones: also called PINASTER.
[ OE clyster: cf. CLOT ]