gather

1 of 2

verb

gath·​er ˈga-t͟hər How to pronounce gather (audio)
 also  ˈge-
gathered; gathering ˈga-t͟hə-riŋ How to pronounce gather (audio)
ˈgat͟h-

transitive verb

1
: to bring together : collect
tried to gather a crowd
gathered firewood
2
a
: pick, harvest
gather flowers
b
: to pick up or amass as if by harvesting
gathering ideas for the project
c
: to scoop up or take up from a resting place
gathered the child up in his arms
3
: to serve as an attraction for : accumulate
books gathering dust
4
: to effect the collection of
gather contributions
5
a
: to summon up
gathered his courage
b
: to gain by gradual increase
gather speed
c
: to prepare (oneself) by mustering strength
d
: to gain or regain control of
gathered his wits
6
: to reach a conclusion often intuitively from hints or through inferences
I gather that you want to leave
7
a
: to pull (fabric) along a line of stitching so as to draw into puckers
b
: to draw about or close to something
gathering her cloak about her
c
: to bring together the parts of
gathered her hair into a ponytail
d
: to assemble (the signatures of a book) in sequence for binding
e
: to haul in
the sailors gathered the sails

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come together in a body
b
: to cluster around a focus of attraction
2
a
: to swell and fill with pus
b
: grow, increase
the gathering crisis
gatherer
ˈga-t͟hər-ər How to pronounce gather (audio)
 also  ˈge-
noun

gather

2 of 2

noun

1
: something brought together: such as
a
: a puckering in cloth made by gathering (see gather entry 1 sense 7a)
b
: a mass of molten glass collected for use in glassblowing
2
: an act or instance of bringing together
Choose the Right Synonym for gather

gather, collect, assemble, congregate mean to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit.

gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.

a crowd quickly gathered

collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.

collected books on gardening

assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.

experts assembled for a conference

congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.

congregating under a shelter

synonyms see in addition infer

Examples of gather in a Sentence

Verb Give me just a minute to gather my things and then we can leave. The coach gathered her players together. She gathered her hair into a ponytail. The child was gathering flowers to give to his mother. The police are continuing to gather evidence relating to the crime. Volunteers have been gathering contributions for the new library. A crowd began to gather on the sidewalk. The players gathered together to hear the coach's game plan. The bicyclists gathered speed as they went downhill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But in February, soldiers gathered at that same palace to issue a decree that threatened to delay any election. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Fresh scat, or bear poop, gathered at the nature reserve revealed the identity of his wild mother, a black-and-white female panda that wears a tracking collar and is known as Niuniu. Katie Hunt, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 In the middle of the parking lot, the Louisville Fire Department, members of the Mayor's Office — including Mayor Craig Greenberg and Deputy Mayor David James — along with employees from Sysco gathered to share a meal under big, white tents. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024 At her press conference at the Watsco Center, friends, former players, staff, and media gathered to honor the beloved longtime coach. Luke Sims, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 In the first snap from Patrick's post, the family of four gathered around a birthday cake while the second photo featured Brittany and Patrick walking on the field after a Kansas City Chiefs game. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 Now, archaeologists have excavated and analyzed the site, gathering an unusually detailed look at how people lived during the Bronze Age in Europe. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 Though only 15 signatures have been gathered so far, including Fitzpatrick's, supporters are bullish on its prospects. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2024 The first half of the novel consists of a bunch of men gathering in houses and pubs, and discussing whether or not to invest in a fraud. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
Yet even as efforts to shut down the facility gather strength, some officials and environmental advocates are skeptical such a move will help. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Friends old and new gather for an epic battle to save Central City one last time. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 17 May 2023 As a stellium of planets gathers in your fouth house of home and lineage this month, the desire to know your past intensifies, and the dynamics between your family members or housemates becomes extra charged. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2024 See All of Kate Middleton's Holiday Looks Through the Years Each year at Christmas, the British royal family gathers at Sandringham. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 25 Dec. 2023 Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Each Sunday morning, the congregation of the International Deliverance Praying Ministry gathers in front of their church, ready to be let in. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2023 When a city-wide power outage hits and the rest of the gang gathers at Monica’s apartment, Chandler is superbly on his own, trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre, who at the time was a high-profile Victoria’s Secret model. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023 The relationship between addiction and systemic problems such as poverty and violence, Chapman said, is on display outside his office daily, where people without housing gather and then disperse as police arrive, in a grim ritual. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023 The hall stills with the music, and an air of wonderment gathers. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian; akin to Middle High German gadern to unite — more at good

Noun

derivative of gather entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gather was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gather

Cite this Entry

“Gather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gather. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gather

1 of 2 verb
gath·​er ˈgat͟h-ər How to pronounce gather (audio)
 also  ˈget͟h-
gathered; gathering ˈgat͟h-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce gather (audio)
1
: to bring together : collect
2
3
: to gain by gradual increase
gather speed
4
: to prepare (as oneself) by calling on strength
gather courage to dive
5
: to draw about or close to something
6
: to pull (cloth) along a line of stitching so as to draw into puckers
7
8
: to come together in a body or around a center of attraction
a crowd gathered round
9
: increase entry 1, grow
a storm gathered outside
gatherer noun

gather

2 of 2 noun
: the result of gathering cloth : pucker

Medical Definition

gather

intransitive verb
gathered; gathering -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce gather (audio)
: to swell and fill with pus
the boil is gathering

More from Merriam-Webster on gather

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