GATHERING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does gathering mean? 

• GATHERING (noun)
  The noun GATHERING has 4 senses:

1. a group of persons together in one place

2. the social act of assembling

3. the act of gathering something

4. sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching

  Familiarity information: GATHERING used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GATHERING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A group of persons together in one place

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

assemblage; gathering

Hypernyms ("gathering" is a kind of...):

social group (people sharing some social relation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gathering"):

commune (a body of people or families living together and sharing everything)

class; course; form; grade (a body of students who are taught together)

mass meeting; rally (a large gathering of people intended to arouse enthusiasm)

quorum (a gathering of the minimal number of members of an organization to conduct business)

covey (a small collection of people)

group meeting; meeting (a formally arranged gathering)

bunch; crew; crowd; gang (an informal body of friends)

social affair; social gathering (a gathering for the purpose of promoting fellowship)

class; year (a body of students who graduate together)

wine tasting (a gathering of people to taste and compare different wines)

convocation (a group gathered in response to a summons)

fair (gathering of producers to promote business)

bevy (a large gathering of people of a particular type)

cortege; entourage; retinue; suite (the group following and attending to some important person)

camp (a group of people living together in a camp)

muster (a gathering of military personnel for duty)

rap group (a gathering of people holding a rap session)

rave-up (a raucous gathering)

table (a company of people assembled at a table for a meal or game)

fivesome; quintet; quintette (five people considered as a unit)

building (the occupants of a building)

carload (a gathering of passengers sufficient to fill an automobile)

contingent (a gathering of persons representative of some larger group)

floor (the occupants of a floor)

pair (two people considered as a unit)

room (the people who are present in a room)

threesome; triad; trinity; trio (three people considered as a unit)

turnout (the group that gathers together for a particular occasion)

foursome; quartet; quartette (four people considered as a unit)

cast; cast of characters; dramatis personae (the actors in a play)

sextet; sextette; sixsome (six people considered as a unit)

septet; septette; sevensome (seven people considered as a unit)

eightsome; octet; octette (eight people considered as a unit)

assembly (a group of persons who are gathered together for a common purpose)

crowd (a large number of things or people considered together)

concourse; multitude; throng (a large gathering of people)

audience (a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance)

community (a group of people living in a particular local area)

municipality (people living in a town or city having local self-government)

Derivation:

gather (collect in one place)

gather (get people together)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The social act of assembling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

assemblage; assembly; gathering

Context example:

they demanded the right of assembly

Hypernyms ("gathering" is a kind of...):

group action (action taken by a group of people)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gathering"):

mobilisation; mobilization (act of marshaling and organizing and making ready for use or action)

calling together; convocation (the act of convoking)

coming together; congress; meeting (the social act of assembling for some common purpose)

congregating; congregation (the act of congregating)

convening; convention (the act of convening)

concentration (bringing together military forces)

Derivation:

gather (collect in one place)

gather (get people together)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of gathering something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

gather; gathering

Hypernyms ("gathering" is a kind of...):

aggregation; assembling; collecting; collection (the act of gathering something together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gathering"):

harvest; harvest home; harvesting (the gathering of a ripened crop)

centralisation; centralization (gathering to a center)

Derivation:

gather (collect or gather)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

gather; gathering

Hypernyms ("gathering" is a kind of...):

sewing; stitchery (needlework on which you are working with needle and thread)

Derivation:

gather (draw together into folds or puckers)

 Context examples 

This day falls over a weekend, so if you have an invitation to a party or other gathering, be sure to go.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It is now close to the time of our general gathering.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

But, from the greater part of the broad valley interposed, a mist was rising like a sea, which, mingling with the darkness, made it seem as if the gathering waters would encompass them.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Outside the pen, men would be gathering, and he knew that a fight was on.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"There's a storm gathering out there on the sea-rim."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

And, gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out: Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

It was too late, however, for we were rapidly gathering momentum, and an instant later had shot clear of the station.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Do you know, Watson,” said Holmes as we sat together in the gathering darkness, “I have really some scruples as to taking you to-night. There is a distinct element of danger.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is the murder that we are really investigating, and I tell you that I am gathering all the threads into my hands.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A fully developed elliptical galaxy is a gas-deficient gathering of ancient stars theorized to develop from the inside out, with a compact core marking its beginnings.

(Telescopes Uncover Early Construction of Giant Galaxy, NASA)