I. ˈgrüp noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: French groupe, from Italian gruppo, by-form of groppo knot, tangle, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German kropf craw — more at crop
Date: 1686
1. : two or more figures forming a complete unit in a composition
2.
a. : a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship
b. : an assemblage of objects regarded as a unit
c.
(1) : a military unit consisting of a headquarters and attached battalions
(2) : a unit of the United States Air Force higher than a squadron and lower than a wing
3.
a. : an assemblage of related organisms — often used to avoid taxonomic connotations when the kind or degree of relationship is not clearly defined
b.
(1) : two or more atoms joined together or sometimes a single atom forming part of a molecule ; especially : functional group
a methyl group
(2) : an assemblage of elements forming one of the vertical columns of the periodic table
c. : a stratigraphic division comprising rocks deposited during an era
4. : a mathematical set that is closed under a binary associative operation, contains an identity element, and has an inverse for every element
II. verb
Date: 1718
transitive verb
1. : to combine in a group
2. : to assign to a group : classify
intransitive verb
1. : to form a group
2. : to belong to a group
3. : to make groups of closely spaced hits on a target
the gun group ed beautifully — R. C. Ruark
• group·able ˈgrü-pə-bəl adjective