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
Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
The rating labels schools and districts earn should be changed to be easier for the public to understand, but that should be done after research and gathering public feedback.
—Yesenia Robles, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Cory Leadbeater, The Atlantic, 1 July 2024
The lesson, one gathers, is that memories should be touched by a whole range of emotions; our mental well-being requires us to accept these feelings rather than single-mindedly chasing joy.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for gather 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
OnX gathers that data and builds layers of graphics that show exactly where app users should avoid and displays it on a phone or tablet on the onX Backcountry, onX Offroad, and onX Hunt apps.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
The rating labels schools and districts earn should be changed to be easier for the public to understand, but that should be done after research and gathering public feedback.
—Yesenia Robles, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
The depressive gathers in the course of his daily life particular items, elements that will be useful to him when, inevitably, the next period of joy-death occurs.
—Cory Leadbeater, The Atlantic, 1 July 2024
The lesson, one gathers, is that memories should be touched by a whole range of emotions; our mental well-being requires us to accept these feelings rather than single-mindedly chasing joy.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for gather
Dictionary Entries Near gather
Cite this Entry
“Gather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gather. Accessed 22 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share