gather

American  

[gath-er] / ˈgæð ər /

verb (used with object)

• gathers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gathered,
  past participle,  past
• gathering
  present participle

1. to bring together into one group, collection, or place.

   to gather firewood; to gather the troops.

   Synonyms:

   hoard, garner, amass, accumulate

   Antonyms:

   disperse, separate

2. to bring together or assemble from various places, sources, or people; collect gradually.

   The college is gathering a faculty from all over the country.

   Synonyms:

   hoard, garner, amass, accumulate

3. to serve as a center of attention for; attract.

   A good football game always gathers a crowd.

4. to pick or harvest (any crop or natural yield) from its place of growth or formation.

   to gather fruit; to gather flowers.

   Synonyms:

   garner, glean, reap, crop, pluck

5. to pick up piece by piece.

   Gather your toys from the floor.

6. to pick or scoop up.

   She gathered the crying child in her arms.

7. to collect (as taxes, dues, money owed, etc.).

8. to accumulate; increase.

   The storm gathers force.

   The car gathered speed.

9. to take by selection from among other things; sort out; cull.

10. to assemble or collect (one's energies or oneself ) as for an effort (often followed byup ).

    He gathered up his strength for the hard job.

11. to learn or conclude from observation; infer; deduce.

    I gather that he is the real leader.

    Synonyms:

    understand, assume

12. to wrap or draw around or close.

    He gathered his scarf around his neck.

13. to contract (the brow) into wrinkles.

14. to draw (cloth) up on a thread in fine folds or puckers by means of even stitches.

15. Bookbinding. to assemble (the printed sections of a book) in proper sequence for binding.

16. Nautical. to gain (way) from a dead stop or extremely slow speed.

17. Metalworking. to increase the sectional area of (stock) by any of various operations.

18. Glassmaking. to accumulate or collect (molten glass) at the end of a tube for blowing, shaping, etc.

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verb (used without object)

• gathers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gathered,
  past participle,  past
• gathering
  present participle

1. to come together around a central point; assemble.

   Let's gather round the fire and sing.

   Antonyms:

   disperse, separate

2. to collect or accumulate.

   Clouds were gathering in the northeast.

   Synonyms:

   accrete

3. to grow, as by accretion; increase.

4. to become contracted into wrinkles, folds, creases, etc., as the brow or as cloth.

5. to come to a head, as a sore in suppurating.

noun

1. a drawing together; contraction.

2. Often gathers. a fold or pucker, as in gathered cloth.

3. an act or instance of gathering.

4. an amount or number gathered, as during a harvest.

5. Glassmaking. a mass of molten glass attached to the end of a punty.

idioms

1. be gathered to one's fathers, to die.

gather British  

/ ˈɡæðə /

verb

1. to assemble or cause to assemble

2. to collect or be collected gradually; muster

3. (tr) to learn from information given; conclude or assume

4. (tr) to pick or harvest (flowers, fruit, etc)

5. (tr; foll by to or into) to clasp or embrace

   the mother gathered the child into her arms

6. (tr) to bring close (to) or wrap (around)

   she gathered her shawl about her shoulders

7. to increase or cause to increase gradually, as in force, speed, intensity, etc

8. to contract (the brow) or (of the brow) to become contracted into wrinkles; knit

9. (tr) to assemble (sections of a book) in the correct sequence for binding

10. (tr) to collect by making a selection

11. (tr) to prepare or make ready

    to gather one's wits

12. to draw (material) into a series of small tucks or folds by passing a thread through it and then pulling it tight

13. (intr) (of a boil or other sore) to come to a head; form pus

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noun

1. 1. the act of gathering

   2. the amount gathered

2. a small fold in material, as made by a tightly pulled stitch; tuck

3. printing an informal name for section

gather More Idioms  

1. see rolling stone gathers no moss.

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Synonym Usage

Gather, assemble, collect, muster, marshal imply bringing or drawing together. Gather expresses the general idea usually with no implication of arrangement: to gather seashells. Assemble is used of objects or facts brought together preparatory to arranging them: to assemble data for a report. Collect implies purposeful accumulation to form an ordered whole: to collect evidence. Muster, primarily a military term, suggests thoroughness in the process of collection: to muster all one's resources. Marshal, another term primarily military, suggests rigorously ordered, purposeful arrangement: to marshal facts for effective presentation.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gatherer
  noun
• regather
  verb
• pregather
  verb (used without object)
• gatherable
  adjective
• ungathered
  adjective
• well-gathered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• gathering
  present
• gathered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gather
  simple
• gathers
  simple
• have gathered
  perfect
• has gathered
  perfect
• am gathering
  progressive
• are gathering
  progressive
• is gathering
  progressive
• have been gathering
  perfect progressive
• has been gathering
  perfect progressive

Past

• gathered
  simple
• had gathered
  perfect
• was gathering
  progressive
• were gathering
  progressive
• had been gathering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gather
  simple
• will have gathered
  perfect
• will be gathering
  progressive
• will have been gathering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gather

First recorded before 900; Middle English gaderen, Old English gaderian, derivative of geador “together,” akin to gæd “fellowship”; cf. together, good

Explanation

Gather is a verb with many related meanings, most involving drawing together or assembling something. You may gather your socks into the laundry bag, or you may gather your thoughts by making a list. Gather often is used to describe bringing people together for some purpose, like the students who gather in the hallway awaiting an announcement. Gather can also refer to an increase or gain, like when you gather speed and go faster on your bike. Gather can describe coming to a conclusion or an understanding. After listening to your brother's comments and watching him pack up his video games, you may gather that he isn't going to be around for dinner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gather gathers gathered gathering

He uses a hunting app to identify who owns which patch of remote land, then mails the property owner a letter asking for permission to gather.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Next month, leaders in medicine, science and public policy will gather for the annual World Health Summit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The fact that India was able to gather these leaders together in person is a feat in and of itself and testament to its diplomatic reach.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Tapia Takaki has helped pioneer this experimental approach and has contributed to theoretical models in which gluons gather into localized areas of especially high density, sometimes referred to as "hot spots."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

“I will gather others and you will follow me to where we will leave them.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

In a kind of treasure hunt, Crouch gathers all the acorns on private lands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

A crowd gathers constantly in front of the gallery, with some people filming the rows of printed faces.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Dew gathers on their skin and is channelled towards their mouths through microscopic grooves, while their tongues can also collect fog water condensed on plants, sand and rocks.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

While prime ministerial resignations are often intense affairs, there is actually a lot of waiting around as the world’s press gathers in Downing Street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Ashley Naches gathers her backpack and her notebook.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

For weeks, around 20 residents regularly gathered in front of the tree to pray for its recovery.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Senior administration officials have gathered almost daily in recent months to plot potential guardrails.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Investigators gathered video from a matrix of security cameras that surround the busy intersection to support their contention that Rios’ actions amounted to murder with implied malice, according to law enforcement sources.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

As investigators awaited the results of the DNA test, they gathered circumstantial evidence.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

We dressed quickly, gathered our things, and made our way downstairs.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

He recalls Teasdale being the subject of similar headlines in national newspapers, and later accompanying him to an event gathering together the best British prospects from every sport for the new Millennium.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The people said Xi withdrew at the last minute from the gala held last Saturday in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Brics summit, a gathering of emerging-market nations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Planets can then grow from material left over around the newborn star, gradually gathering matter and shaping paths through the surrounding disk.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

News helicopters are a vital part of news gathering in Southern California, helping chronicle brush fires, mass shootings and, of course, police pursuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

The maid was up in a crouch now, gathering the bath towels, making her quick escape and banging the door behind her.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• assemble
• choose
• cluster
• collect
• congregate
• convene
• converge
• crowd
• draw
• flock
• huddle
• meet
• pick
• round up
• show up