v., -ered, -er·ing, -ers. v.tr.
- To cause to come together; convene: The teacher gathered the students around the exhibit.
- To accumulate (something) gradually; amass: The top of the bookshelf gathered dust.
- To harvest or pick: gather flowers; gather wild foods.
- To gain by a process of gradual increase: gather speed.
- To collect into one place; assemble.
- To pick up and enfold: gathered the kittens into her arms.
- Printing. To arrange (signatures) in sequence for bookbinding.
- To draw into small folds or puckers, as by pulling a thread through cloth.
- To contract and wrinkle (the brow).
- To draw about or bring (one thing) closer to something else: gathered the shawl about my shoulders.
- To conclude; infer: I gather that a decision has not been reached.
- To summon up; muster: gathered up his courage.
- To attract or be a center of attraction for: The parade gathered a large crowd.
- To come together in a group; assemble: A crowd gathered in the lobby.
- To accumulate: Dark clouds are gathering.
- To grow or increase by degrees.
- To come to a head, as a boil; fester.
- To forage for wild foodstuffs.
- The act or an instance of gathering.
- A quantity gathered.
- A small fold or pucker made by gathering cloth.
[Middle English getheren, gaderen, from Old English gadrian.]
gatherer gath'er·er n.SYNONYMS gather, collect, assemble, congregate, accumulate, amass. These verbs mean to bring or come together in a group or aggregate. Gather is the most widely applicable: I gathered sticks for the fire. Clouds gathered in the evening sky. Collect frequently refers to the careful selection of like or related things that become part of an organized whole: She collects stamps as a hobby. Tears collected in his eyes. Assemble implies a definite and usually close relationship. With respect to persons, the term suggests convening out of common interest or purpose: Assembling an able staff was more difficult than expected. The reporters assembled for the press conference. With respect to things, assemble implies gathering and fitting together components: The curator is assembling an interesting exhibit of Stone Age artifacts. Congregate refers chiefly to the coming together of a large number of persons or animals: The students congregated after class to compare notes. Accumulate applies to the increase of like or related things over an extended period: They accumulated enough capital to invest. Old newspapers accumulated in the basement. Amass refers to the collection or accumulation of things, often valuable things, to form an imposing quantity: Their families had amassed great fortunes. Rocks had amassed at the bottom of the glacier. See also synonyms at reap.
