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Gather Very Common

Gather has 14 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching

"The dressmaker gathered the fabric to create soft ruffles along the neckline."

2

the act of gathering something

"The family gathered around the dinner table to share their holiday meal."

3

A plait or fold in cloth, made by drawing a thread through it; a pucker.

"The seamstress carefully pinned each gather to ensure even folds along the waistband of the dress."

In plain English: A gather is an old-fashioned word for something that has been collected together, though it rarely means this anymore since people usually just say collection or group when they mean it as a noun.

"She decided to go on her own after realizing that there was no real sense in gathering for such an event."

Verb
1

assemble or get together

"gather some stones"

"pull your thoughts together"

2

collect in one place

"We assembled in the church basement"

"Let's gather in the dining room"

3

collect or gather

"Journals are accumulating in my office"

"The work keeps piling up"

4

conclude from evidence

"I gather you have not done your homework"

5

draw together into folds or puckers

"The old man's wrinkled skin gathered at his temples as he sighed deeply."

6

get people together

"assemble your colleagues"

"get together all those who are interested in the project"

"gather the close family members"

7

draw and bring closer

"she gathered her shawl around her shoulders"

8

look for (food) in nature

"Our ancestors gathered nuts in the Fall"

9

increase or develop

"the peace movement gained momentum"

"the car gathers speed"

10

To collect; normally separate things.

"The children gathered fallen leaves from the yard to build a large pile near the porch."

11

Especially, to harvest food.

"The tribe gathered wild berries and nuts from the forest to survive the winter."

In plain English: To gather means to collect things from different places and bring them together into one spot.

"The children gathered in the living room to watch their favorite movie together."

Usage: Use gather when you mean collecting scattered items into one place rather than simply picking them up individually. It is the standard verb for harvesting crops or assembling people and objects together.

Example Sentences
"She decided to go on her own after realizing that there was no real sense in gathering for such an event." noun
"The gathering of clouds signaled an approaching storm." noun
"We could feel a nervous gathering before the performance began." noun
"A small gathering of friends met at the park for coffee." noun
"The children gathered in the living room to watch their favorite movie together." verb
Related Terms
Antonyms
distribute
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
sewing collection interact increase reason sew pull search
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
centralization harvest mobilize rake reap club hive salvage muster round up pick nut snail birdnest nest oyster sponge pearl clam shock pile up group meet congregate fort convene cluster crowd converge turn out caucus backlog accrete drift make shell

Origin

The word "gather" comes from the Old English gaderian, meaning to collect or assemble. It traveled into modern usage through Middle English while retaining its original sense of bringing things together.

Rhyming Words
her cher wher ther sher oher other moher ather ocher upher uther asher ofher ether maher taher acher usher opher
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