# gather

/ˈɡæðɝ/ (US) · /ɡˈæðɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gather
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to come together

verb · CEFR A2

to come together in a group, or to bring people together.

For teachers: to come together or bring individuals together into a group or assembly.

- A small crowd began to gather outside the stadium before the gates opened.
- The local community gathered in the town square to protest the proposed demolition of the historic library.

### 2. to collect things

verb · CEFR A2

to pick up or collect things from different places.

For teachers: to collect or harvest items from various locations or sources.

- The children spent the afternoon gathering seashells along the beach.
- Researchers spent several months gathering data from various international clinics to ensure the study was statistically significant.

### 3. to understand or infer

verb · CEFR B2

to believe something is true because of the information you have.

For teachers: to conclude or infer information from evidence or from what has been said.

- I gather from your email that you are not happy with the new schedule.
- From the somber tone of the meeting, I gather that the quarterly results were far worse than the board had anticipated.

Usage: Often used in the first person as 'I gather that...'

### 4. to increase in speed or strength

verb · CEFR B2

to move faster or become stronger over time.

For teachers: to increase in speed, force, or momentum.

- The car began to gather speed as it went down the hill.
- The political movement started to gather momentum after the televised debate, attracting thousands of new supporters within days.

### 5. to pull fabric together

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to pull cloth into small folds using a thread.

For teachers: to draw fabric into small folds by pulling a thread through it.

- She gathered the fabric at the waist to make the skirt look fuller.
- The dressmaker carefully gathered the silk at the shoulder to create a delicate, draped effect for the evening gown.

### 6. a fold in fabric

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small fold in cloth made by pulling a thread.

For teachers: a small fold or pucker in fabric created by drawing a thread through it.

- The gathers at the top of the curtains made them hang beautifully.
- The designer used intricate gathers along the bodice to add texture and volume to the otherwise simple garment.

## Examples

- The students gather in the hall every morning.
- I gather from our conversation that you are not happy with the new schedule.
- The researchers spent months in the field to gather enough data to support their hypothesis regarding local migration patterns.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.