congregate

C1 Topic:Verbs of Movement
US /ˈkɑːŋgrəˌgeɪt/ UK /ˈkɒŋɡɹəɡeɪt/
verb adj noun Freq #38672

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    to come together in a group, usually for a particular purpose

    Crowds congregated in the square to hear the speech.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to come together in a... assemblegatherflockcollect
Word family
Forms congregatedcongregatescongregating
Derived forms congregativecongregatorrecongregateuncongregated
Related forms congregation

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1400–1450, in Middle English, the verb c. 1513; from Middle English congregat(e) (“(of people) banded together; (of liquids) accumulated; (of muscles) contracted; (of wounds) closed up”), borrowed from Latin congregātus, perfect passive participle of congregō (“to congregate”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3), from con- (“with, together”) + gregō (“to collect into a flock”), from grex (“flock, herd”). See gregarious and egregious. Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

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Topics

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