gather

gatherverb

To gather is to bring separate people or things together into one place or one whole.

1. come togethercome together in one place as a group, or bring people together

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep] verb + object [V + obj]

   • A crowd gathered outside the station. V + adv/prep
   • We gathered around the fire to keep warm. V + adv/prep
   • She gathered the children together and told them the news. V + obj + adv

   Collocations

   noun + verb a crowd gathers, people gather, friends gather

   verb + preposition gather around something, gather in a place

   Synonyms meet; assemble

2. collectbring together things that are in different places, or get information from different people or places

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv]

   • It took months to gather all the information. V + obj
   • Gather your things; we are leaving. V + obj
   • The police are still gathering evidence. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun gather information, gather evidence, gather data, gather wood, gather your things

   Synonyms collect

   1. apick flowers, fruit, or crops and collect them

      transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

      • They gathered fruit from the trees. V + obj
      • The children gathered flowers in the field. V + obj

      Collocations

      verb + noun gather fruit, gather flowers, gather the harvest

3. understandbelieve that something is true because of what you have heard or seen

   transitive [T] verb + that-clause [V + that] not used in continuous tenses [no continuous]

   • I gather you are leaving soon. V + that
   • From what I can gather, she is not very happy there.
   • "She has a new job." "So I gather."

   Collocations

   phrase I gather that, from what I can gather, so I gather

   Synonyms understand

4. increaseslowly get more of something such as speed, strength, or support

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • The train slowly gathered speed. V + obj
   • The storm was gathering strength over the sea. V + obj
   • The idea is gathering support. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun gather speed, gather strength, gather pace, gather support