Cluster

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈklʌstə/

Definitions

1. A group of similar things positioned closely together or occurring in the same place or time
2. A collection of items or entities that are grouped closely in proximity or occur simultaneously in a given location or period
3. An aggregation of objects or individuals that are situated near one another or manifest at the same time and place

Etymology: The most striking thing about "cluster" is how close it sits to "clot." The two are thought to be doublets, meaning they descend from the same ancient root but reached English along different paths, one as a native word and the other through a different route. Both trace back to a Proto-Germanic base meaning "to clump, lump together," which may itself go back to a much older Indo-European root for balling up or clenching. In Old English the word appeared as "cluster" or "clyster," meaning a bunch, a branch, or a spray, most often of fruit or flowers. The Middle English sense broadened to include a compact mass or ball, and that picture of things gathered tightly together is what the modern meanings still carry. The Germanic family has close relatives in other languages. Swedish "kluster," Icelandic "klasi" (a bunch of grapes), Low German "Kluuster," and Dutch dialectal "klister" all share the same root. The verb was formed later from the noun, so it is the newer of the two forms.

Synonyms: group, bunch, collection, assembly, gathering

Antonyms: dispersal, separation