congregate

English

Etymology

Latin congregatus, past participle of congregare (“to congregate”); from con- (“with, together”) + gregare (“to collect into a flock”), from grex (“flock, herd”). See gregarious.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA: /ˈkɒŋ.ɡɹə.ɡeɪt/, X-SAMPA: /"kQN.gr@.geIt/

Adjective

congregate (comparative more congregate, superlative most congregate)

(rare) Collective; assembled; compact.
- 1605, Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning, Book II, Chapter IX:
  With this reservation, therefore, we proceed to human philosophy or humanity, which hath two parts: the one considereth man segregate or distributively, the other congregate or in society; so as human philosophy is either simple and particular, or conjugate and civil.

Verb

congregate (third-person singular simple present congregates, present participle congregating, simple past and past participle congregated)

(transitive): To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to assemble; to bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together; to mass; to compact.
- Hooker,
  Any multitude of Christian men congregated may be termed by the name of a church.
- Coleridge,
  Cold congregates all bodies.
- Milton,
The great receptacle Of congregated waters he called Seas.
(intransitive): To come together; to assemble; to meet.
- William Shakespeare,
  Even there where merchants most do congregate.