Cluster

/ˈklʌstər/

nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A collection of things grouped closely together.

/ˈklʌstər/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A group of similar things that are close together

A cluster of houses lined the hillside.

💡 Simply: Imagine a bunch of grapes all stuck together – that's a cluster!

👶 For kids: Lots of things together in one bunch!

More Examples

2

There was a cluster of stars visible in the night sky.

How It's Used

Astronomy

"A cluster of galaxies was observed far beyond our solar system."

Biology

"The bees formed a tight cluster around the queen."

2

To come together in a group.

/ˈklʌstər/

verbneutralIntermediate
General

To group or gather together

The students clustered together after class.

💡 Simply: When things bunch up together, like a flock of birds, they are clustering.

👶 For kids: To group things together.

More Examples

2

The data points clustered into three distinct groups.

How It's Used

Data Science

"The algorithm clustered the data points based on similarity."

General

"People clustered around the speaker."

Tip:Imagine people clustering together for warmth on a cold day.

Idioms & expressions

cluster bomb

A bomb that releases many smaller bombs over a wide area.

"The cluster bomb caused widespread damage."

Middle English: from Old North French clustre, from Late Latin clūstrum 'enclosure, flock'.

Historically, 'cluster' has been used to describe both physical groupings and abstract collections.

Memory tip

Think of a bunch of grapes clustered together on a vine.

Base: cluster
cluserclustor

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written