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The act or process of gathering into a mass; the state of being thus collected; collection; accumulation; that which is conglomerated; a mixed mass. Bacon.

An assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet. He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. Macaulay.

A gathering or assembly; a conference.

A small assembly or gathering; esp., a secret assembly. They are commanded to abstain from all conventicles of men whatsoever. Ayliffe.

A festivity or social gathering, esp. one of a noisy or uproarious character; hence, tumult; uproar. [Australia]

ng of insects. A creep of undefinable horror. Blackwood's Mag. Out of the stillness, with gathering creep, Like rising wind in leaves. Lowell.

To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering; to hew; to mow or reap. Thy servants can skill to cut timer. 2. Chron. ii. 8

A noisy gathering. [R.] See under Drum, n.,

cess of inductive inquiry; to leave out of consideration. Eliminate errors that have been gathering and accumulating. Lowth.

A gathering of buyers and sellers, assembled at a particular place with their merchandise at a stated or regular season, or by special appointment, for trade.

The act of gathering flowers.

laugh; to force fruits. High on a mounting wave my head I bore, Forcing my strength, and gathering to the shore. Dryden.

w together, as a piece of cloth by a thread; to pucker; to plait; as, to gather a ruffle. Gathering his flowing robe, he seemed to stand In act to speak, and graceful stretched his hand. Pope.

prepared or equipped, as for a journey or for work, in allusion to the ancient custom of gathering the long flowing garments into the girdle and tightening it before any exertion; hence, adjectively, eagerly or constantly active; strenuous; striving. "A severer, more girt-up way of living." J. C. Shairp.…

scattered or fragmentary parcels, as the grain left by a reaper, or grapes left after the gathering. To glean the broken ears after the man That the main harvest reaps. Shak.

The act of gathering after reapers; that which is collected by gleaning. Glenings of natural knowledge. Cook.

The act of forming or gathering into a ball or round mass; the state of being gathered into a ball; conglomeration.

g and holding fast a vessel or other object. -- Grappling tongs, broad-mouthed tongs for gathering oysters.

a castle or manor house, and in early times the only public room, serving as the place of gathering for the lord's family with the retainers and servants, also for cooking and eating. It was often contrasted with the bower, which was the private or sleeping apartment. Full sooty was her bower and eke her hall. Chaucer.…

The gathering of a crop of any kind; the ingathering of the crops; also, the season of gathering grain and fruits, late summer or early autumn. Seedtime and harvest . . . shall not cease. Gen viii. 22. At harvest, when corn is ripe. Tyndale.