Gathers

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Brings together items or people into one place or group ; increases in amount, number, or intensity over time
2. Assembles or gathers things or individuals for a purpose ; grows or builds up gradually in size or degree
3. Collects or amasses objects or persons usually from different locations ; accumulates or intensifies progressively

Etymology: "Gathers" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "gather," so its history is really the history of "gather." That verb comes from Old English "gaderian," meaning "to gather, assemble," which grew from a Proto-West Germanic root "gadurōn," meaning "to bring together, unite." Behind that lies a far older Proto-Indo-European root, "gʰedʰ-," meaning "to unite, assemble, keep," which points to a shared core of ideas about bringing things into one place. The verb passed into Middle English as "gaderen," and its meanings have stayed close to that original sense of drawing things together. Its second meaning, to grow or build up gradually in size or degree, extends the same idea of accumulation: a crowd gathers, and so does a storm or a sense of dread, as parts are drawn together over time.

Synonyms: collects, assembles, congregates, accumulates, amasses

Antonyms: disperses, scatters, dissipates, distributes, separates