n. & v.
n. 1 a number of persons or things located close together, or considered or classed together. 2 (attrib.) concerning or done by a group (a group photograph; group sex). 3 a number of people working together or sharing beliefs, e.g. part of a political party. 4 a number of commercial companies under common ownership. 5 an ensemble playing popular music. 6 a division of an air force or air-fleet. 7 Math. a set of elements, together with an associative binary operation, which contains an inverse for each element and an identity element. 8 Chem. a a set of ions or radicals giving a characteristic qualitative reaction. b a set of elements having similar properties. c a combination of atoms having a recognizable identity in a number of compounds.
v. 1 tr. & intr. form or be formed into a group. 2 tr. (often foll. by with) place in a group or groups. 3 tr. form (colours, figures, etc.) into a well-arranged and harmonious whole. 4 tr. classify. group captain an RAF officer next below air commodore. group dynamics Psychol. the field of social psychology concerned with the nature, development, and interactions of human groups. group practice a medical practice in which several doctors are associated. group therapy therapy in which patients with a similar condition are brought together to assist one another psychologically. group velocity the speed of travel of the energy of a wave or wave-group. groupage n.
[ F groupe f. It. gruppo f. Gmc, rel. to CROP ]