congregate
To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to bring into one place, or into a united body.
Adjective
- Congregated.
- VVith all the Gods about him congregate: - c. 1597–1598, Edmund Spenser, “Two Cantos of Mutabilitie: […]. Book VII, Canto VI.”, in The Faerie Queene, […], London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Mathew Lownes, published...
- Congregated (organized on a congregational basis).
- congregate churches
- Collective; assembled; compact.
- 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...
Origin
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.
Forms
Noun
- Assembled persons.
- That the congregates may frankelie shew their minds upon such matters as are to come before them. - 1587, William Harrison, Description of England, II. viii:
Forms
Verb
- To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to bring into one place, or into a united body.
- Any multitude of Christian men congregated may be termed by the name of a church. - [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC,...
- The great receptacle Of congregated waters he called Seas. - 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd...
- Cold congregates all bodies. - 1825, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, Aids to Reflection in the Formation of a Manly Character on the Several Grounds of Prudence, Morality, and Religion: […], London: […] Thomas Davison, […]...
Synonyms: amass assemble compact bring together gather mass aggregate bracket aggroup collect confer congregate gather up group herd round up team team up togetherize
- To come together; to assemble; to meet.
- Even there where merchants most do congregate. - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […]...
Synonyms: assemble begather forgather collect congregate congress crowd fall in with flock gather gather up group herd league mass meet meet up muster pack press team team up thring throng