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Gathering, or dredging for, oysters.

To gather in flocks or schools; as, the grouse or the perch begin to pack. [Eng.]

and November, they swarm in vast numbers at the surface of the sea for breeding, and are gathered and highly esteemed as food by the natives. An allied species inhabits the tropical Atlantic and swarms in June or July.

the action of water; a pebblestone. "The pebbles on the hungry beach." Shak. As children gathering pebbles on the shore. Milton.

e; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a community; a nation. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Gen. xlix. 10. The ants are a people not strong. Prov. xxx. 25. Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues. Rev. x. 11. Earth's monarchs are her peoples. Whitter . A government of all the people, by…

To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.

One who, or that which, picks, in any sense, -- as, one who uses a pick; one who gathers; a thief; a pick; a pickax; as, a cotton picker. "Pickers and stealers." Shak.

The act of choosing, plucking, or gathering.

force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl; to pluck hair or wool from a skin; to pluck grapes. I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude. Milton. E'en children followed, with endearing wile, And plucked his gown to sha…

Hence: Any assembly characterized by noise and confusion; a noisy frolic or gathering. [Colloq. U. S.]

Fell. Prayer book, a book containing devotional prayers. -- Prayer meeting, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.

To take booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by violence. More pity that the eagle should be mewed, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Shak. To prey on or upon. (a) To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to rob. Shak. (b) To seize as prey; to take for food by violence; to seize and devour. Shak. (…

To gather into small folds or wrinkles; to contract into ridges and furrows; to corrugate; -- often with up; as, to pucker up the mouth. "His skin [was] puckered up in wrinkles." Spectator.

To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.

A vegetable substance consisting of soft, elastic, yellowish brown chaff, gathered in the Hawaiian Islands from the young fronds of free ferns of the genus Cibotium, chiefly C. Menziesii; -- used for stuffing mattresses, cushions, etc., and as an absorbent.

Cultivation or gathering of clusters of grapes. [R.]

To collect or draw together with laborious industry; to gather from a wide space; to scrape together; as, to rake together wealth; to rake together slanderous tales; to rake together the rabble of a town.

To collect, and reduce to order, as troops dispersed or thrown into confusion; to gather again; to reunite.

To collect again; to gather what has been scattered; as, to re- collect routed troops. God will one day raise the dead, re-collecting our scattered dust. Barrow.

To cut with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine, as grain; to gather, as a harvest, by cutting. When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field. Lev.