I. ˈgrüp noun
( -s )
Etymology: French groupe, from Italian gruppo group, knot, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German kropf craw — more at crop
1. : two or more figures (as in sculpture or painting) forming a distinctive unit complete in itself or forming part of a larger composition
the bronze group represents a mortally wounded southern soldier supported by Fame — American Guide Series: North Carolina
a foreground group of satyrs and nymphs
2.
a. : a relatively small number of individuals assembled or standing together
a group of indifferent bystanders looked on
groups of prisoners marching to their destination
— compare crowd
b. : an assemblage of objects regarded as a unit because of their comparative segregation from others
a group of buildings
a group of towns … were able to develop increasing commerce with the Near East — Stringfellow Barr
a group of … highly finished, memorable stories — Paul Pickrel
as
(1) : a cluster of islands
the group consists of four tiny islands
contemplated the investigation of the South Sandwich group — R.N.Rudmose-Brown
(2) : a cluster of hits on a target fired with the same sight setting and the same point of aim
3. : a number of individuals bound together by a community of interest, purpose, or function: as
a.
(1) : a social unit comprising individuals in continuous contact through intercommunication and shared participation in activities toward some commonly accepted end — see primary group , secondary group
(2) : class 1a
a government representative of all the great social groups
a small group of wealthy families virtually governed the province
(3) : a relatively small number of persons associated formally or informally for a common end or drawn together through an affinity of views or interests : circle
a dance group
a study group
a stamp group
a vanguard group of artists
there grew up in the universities a group called the “New Critics” — F.O.Baker
b. : a number of students taking part in the same educational or extracurricular activities : class 2b
c. : a combination of persons who are usually employees of a single employer and are covered by a blanket or single insurance policy
d. : a combination of elected parliamentary representatives bound together by a common program or by a general identity of political views — used especially of a grouping in the French National Assembly
e. : a combination of companies or other enterprises having interlocking interests or a single owner or management : syndicate , trust , chain
vary in size from two-paper groups to one which includes 20 papers — F.L.Mott
the powerful hydroelectric group
f.
(1) : an administrative and tactical military unit consisting of a headquarters and two or more battalions not a permanent organic part of the group
(2) : a unit of an echelon of the United States Air Force higher than a squadron and lower than a wing and composed of a headquarters and two or more squadrons
g. : the basic program unit of Camp Fire Girls consisting of no more than 20 Blue Bird members or camp fire girls and no more than 30 members in a Horizon Club plus a leader and often an assistant leader
4.
a. : an assemblage of related organisms
the A group of beta hemolytic streptococci
— often used to avoid taxonomic connotations when the kind or degree of relationship is not clearly defined
b.
(1) : an assemblage of atoms forming part of a molecule : radical
a methyl group (CH 3 )
the alcohol group (OH)
— compare ligand
(2) : an assemblage of elements forming one of the vertical columns of the periodic table
c.
(1) : a stratigraphic division of the first order comprising the rocks deposited during an era — used in the system of nomenclature adopted by the International Geological Congress
(2) : a stratigraphic division composed of two or more named formations — used in the system of nomenclature of the United States Geological Survey
(3) : a consecutive series of beds or assemblage of related igneous rocks
(4) : great soil group
d. : a syllable or series of syllables uttered with a single primary or quasi-primary stress : stress-group
e. : a set of three or more cards of the same rank in the game of rummy
5. : a mathematical aggregate in which the product of two elements is an element of the aggregate
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: French grouper to group, from groupe, n.
transitive verb
1. : to form a group of : cluster
nine tennis courts are grouped at one end of the field — Bulletin of Bates College
with the other … pilots grouped around him — Ed Cunningham
2.
a. : to combine in a group or in groups : assign to a group : classify
the large class of barbaric ideas grouped under sympathetic magic — Edward Clodd
her mind was busily assorting and grouping the faces before her — Ellen Glasgow
grouping liberty of the press with trial by jury — Zechariah Chafee
specifically : to determine the blood group of
after the patient and donor have been grouped — R.L.Haden
b. : to arrange (as figures) in an artistic composition with regard to the aesthetic effect
an oil painting … over the fire: horsemen grouped apprehensively at midnight — Elizabeth Bowen
intransitive verb
1. : to form a group : become a member of a group : belong , harmonize
he groups with Tennyson and Spenser in contrast to Shakespeare and Donne — F.R.Leavis
2. : to make well-defined groups of hits on a target
III. adjective
1. : of or relating to a group : belonging to or shared by the members of a group as a whole : collective
an individual is not responsible for group acts
a sad absence of group awareness — Julian Huxley
group discussion
2. : constituting a unit of syntax composed of a word group
to be in need of meaning “to need” is a group verb
impossible-to-be-realized in “an impossible-to-be-realized wish” is a group adjunct
man of honor's in “a man of honor's word” is a group genitive
IV. noun
: a mathematical set that is closed under a binary associative operation (as multiplication or addition) and that has an identity element and an inverse for every element