gathered; gathering
ˈga-t͟hə-riŋ 
ˈgat͟h-
1
: to bring together : collect
tried to gather a crowd
gathered firewood
2
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
1
a
: to come together in a body
b
: to cluster around a focus of attraction
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
Synonyms
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
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Advertisement About a dozen chapter members gathered Saturday morning at their sixth annual survivors vigil in a grassy park beside the San Diego Bay near the J Street Marina in Chula Vista.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the grass at UCLA’s Dickson Court, waving banners, listening to speeches and sometimes yelling obscenities at one another.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
On the north side of Seventh Street, other protestors once again gathered at IU's Chabad House, donning Israeli flags and dancing to a mix of Israeli music and American pop hits.
—The Indianapolis Star, 27 Apr. 2024
At Arizona State University, about 100 students gathered to establish an encampment, and several were arrested.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 27 Apr. 2024
On Saturday night under the setting sun, another all-star collection of chefs will gather for a lively cookout.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
By Cady Lang April 25, 2024 9:51 PM EDT
On Thursday night, guests gathered in New York City to celebrate the 2024 TIME100, a list that ran the gamut from Hollywood's brightest stars to global leaders and changemakers.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 21, what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 98th birthday, the couple were photographed in a car after attending church at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle, where the royal family traditionally gathers in the summer months.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Jack Sidders, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
And with months until the conference gathers after November's elections to select a new leader, the announcement kickstarts a lengthy campaign for the job.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
Each year at Christmas, the British royal family gathers at Sandringham in Norfolk.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 19 Dec. 2023
The public gathers to safely enjoy galleries, restaurants, and studio spaces with cultural integration into surrounding parks and bike paths.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
The blinding radiation is due to the black hole’s accretion disk, or the ring around the black hole where material gathers before being consumed.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024
Typically, the extended royal family gathers for Easter at Windsor Castle before heading to church together.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Outside, a crowd of damp customers waiting their turn gathers near the door at the City West Commons spot — undaunted by the afternoon rain.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024
Traditionally, the royal family gathers at Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday and takes a short walk to St. George’s Chapel for a church service, where crowds gather to greet them.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
As Jews across the country gather to celebrate Passover, a holiday that commemorates the exodus of Jews from Egypt where they were enslaved, the millennia-long persecution of Jews is particularly resonant for many.
—USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Advertisement About a dozen chapter members gathered Saturday morning at their sixth annual survivors vigil in a grassy park beside the San Diego Bay near the J Street Marina in Chula Vista.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the grass at UCLA’s Dickson Court, waving banners, listening to speeches and sometimes yelling obscenities at one another.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
On the north side of Seventh Street, other protestors once again gathered at IU's Chabad House, donning Israeli flags and dancing to a mix of Israeli music and American pop hits.
—The Indianapolis Star, 27 Apr. 2024
At Arizona State University, about 100 students gathered to establish an encampment, and several were arrested.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 27 Apr. 2024
On Saturday night under the setting sun, another all-star collection of chefs will gather for a lively cookout.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
By Cady Lang April 25, 2024 9:51 PM EDT
On Thursday night, guests gathered in New York City to celebrate the 2024 TIME100, a list that ran the gamut from Hollywood's brightest stars to global leaders and changemakers.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 21, what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 98th birthday, the couple were photographed in a car after attending church at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle, where the royal family traditionally gathers in the summer months.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Noun
As real estate’s great and good gather in Cannes for Europe’s biggest annual property event, there are a growing number of notable absences.
—Jack Sidders, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024
And with months until the conference gathers after November's elections to select a new leader, the announcement kickstarts a lengthy campaign for the job.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024
Each year at Christmas, the British royal family gathers at Sandringham in Norfolk.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 19 Dec. 2023
The public gathers to safely enjoy galleries, restaurants, and studio spaces with cultural integration into surrounding parks and bike paths.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
The blinding radiation is due to the black hole’s accretion disk, or the ring around the black hole where material gathers before being consumed.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024
Typically, the extended royal family gathers for Easter at Windsor Castle before heading to church together.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Outside, a crowd of damp customers waiting their turn gathers near the door at the City West Commons spot — undaunted by the afternoon rain.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024
Traditionally, the royal family gathers at Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday and takes a short walk to St. George’s Chapel for a church service, where crowds gather to greet them.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near gather
Cite this Entry
“Gather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gather. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gather
1 of 2 verb
gath·er
ˈgat͟h-ər
also ˈget͟h-
gathered; gathering
ˈgat͟h-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to bring together : collect
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
gather
2 of 2 noun
: the result of gathering cloth : pucker
Medical Definition
gather
intransitive verb
gath·er
ˈgat͟h-ər, ˈget͟h-
gathered; gathering
-(ə-)riŋ
: to swell and fill with pus
the boil is gathering
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