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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
groupage n.
Etymology: F groupe f. It. gruppo f. Gmc, rel. to CROP