I. ˈga-thər also ˈge- verb
( gath·ered ; gath·er·ing ˈgath-riŋ, ˈga-thə-)
Etymology: Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian; akin to Middle High German gadern to unite — more at good
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1. : to bring together : collect
tried to gather a crowd
gather ed firewood
2.
a. : pick , harvest
gather flowers
b. : to pick up or amass as if by harvesting
gather ing ideas for the project
c. : to scoop up or take up from a resting place
gather ed the child up in his arms
3. : to serve as an attraction for : accumulate
books gather ing dust
4. : to effect the collection of
gather contributions
5.
a. : to summon up
gather ed his courage
b. : to gain by gradual increase
gather speed
c. : to prepare (as oneself) by mustering strength
d. : to gain or regain control of
gather ed his wits
6. : to reach a conclusion often intuitively from hints or through inferences
I gather that you want to leave
7.
a. : to pull (fabric) along a line of stitching so as to draw into puckers
b. : to draw about or close to something
gather ing her cloak about her
c. : to bring together the parts of
gather ed her hair into a ponytail
d. : to assemble (the signatures of a book) in sequence for binding
e. : to haul in
the sailors gather ed the sails
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to come together in a body
b. : to cluster around a focus of attraction
2.
a. : to swell and fill with pus
b. : grow , increase
the gather ing crisis
• gath·er·er -thər-ər noun
Synonyms:
gather , collect , assemble , congregate mean to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit. gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state
a crowd quickly gathered
collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement
collected books on gardening
assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose
experts assembled for a conference
congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle
congregating under a shelter
Synonym: see in addition infer .
II. noun
Date: 1555
1. : something gathered: as
a. : a puckering in cloth made by gathering
b. : a mass of molten glass collected for use in glassblowing
2. : an act or instance of gathering