Gathered
'ɡæðəd
Definitions
4 meaningsTo come together and form a group; assemble.
'ɡæðəd
To come together; assemble
The family gathered for Thanksgiving dinner.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're planning a surprise party. You'd have to *gather* all your friends together, right? It's like when everyone shows up at the same place at the same time, like a flash mob!
👶 For kids: When lots of people or things come together in one place.
More Examples
A crowd gathered to watch the street performers.
The data was gathered from various sources.
How It's Used
"Friends gathered at the park for a picnic."
"Protesters gathered outside the government building."
To collect things from different places and bring them together.
'ɡæðəd
To accumulate or collect something.
She gathered flowers from the garden.
💡 Simply: Think about collecting your toys after playing. You're *gathering* them, right? It's like finding a bunch of cool stickers and putting them all in the same place.
👶 For kids: To find and put things together.
More Examples
The team gathered evidence for the case.
He gathered his belongings before leaving.
How It's Used
"They gathered funds for the charity."
"Researchers gathered information for their study."
To understand something from hints or observations.
'ɡæðəd
To infer or conclude.
He gathered that she was upset from her tone of voice.
💡 Simply: It's like when you *gather* that someone is sad because they're not smiling. You put the clues together, like a detective figuring out what happened.
👶 For kids: To figure something out by looking at clues.
More Examples
We gathered from the news that there would be a storm.
She gathered that he wasn't interested in her suggestion.
How It's Used
"From his silence, she gathered he was unhappy."
"The detective gathered clues and formed a theory."
Describing cloth that has been drawn together to create folds or pleats.
'ɡæðəd
Having folds or pleats drawn together
The skirt of the dress was gathered.
💡 Simply: Think of a skirt that has a lot of fabric pulled in at the waist, making it look puffy. That's *gathered*! It's like a bunch of little folds making the fabric look full.
👶 For kids: Cloth that's been bunched up a bit.
More Examples
She attached the gathered trim to the curtains.
The neckline had a gathered effect.
How It's Used
"The dress had a gathered skirt."
"She used gathered fabric for the curtains."
Synonyms
Assemble
Collect
Accumulate
Amass
Garner
Assume
Conclude
Idioms & expressions
gather oneself
To regain composure or strength, especially after an emotional or stressful situation.
"After the shock, she took a moment to gather herself before speaking."
gather momentum
To increase speed, energy, or force; to become more successful or powerful.
"The project began slowly, but it soon began to gather momentum."
From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian ('to collect, assemble'), from Proto-Germanic *gadōzijaną, from *gadō ('together').
Used since the late Old English period with meanings evolving from physical collection to more abstract concepts like inference.
Memory tip
Think of people *gathering* around a bonfire.