to bring together into one group, collection, or place

to gather firewood; to gather the troops.

to bring together or assemble from various places, sources, or people; collect gradually

The college is gathering a faculty from all over the country.

to serve as a center of attention for; attract

A good football game always gathers a crowd.

to pick or harvest (any crop or natural yield) from its place of growth or formation

to gather fruit; to gather flowers.

to pick up piece by piece

Gather your toys from the floor.

to pick or scoop up

She gathered the crying child in her arms.

to collect (as taxes, dues, money owed, etc.).

to accumulate; increase

The storm gathers force. The car gathered speed.

to take by selection from among other things; sort out; cull.

to assemble or collect (one's energies or oneself) as for an effort (often fol. by up )

He gathered up his strength for the hard job.

to learn or conclude from observation; infer; deduce

I gather that he is the real leader.

to wrap or draw around or close

He gathered his scarf around his neck.

to contract (the brow) into wrinkles.

to draw (cloth) up on a thread in fine folds or puckers by means of even stitches.

Bookbinding . to assemble (the printed sections of a book) in proper sequence for binding.

Nautical . to gain (way) from a dead stop or extremely slow speed.

Metalworking . to increase the sectional area of (stock) by any of various operations.

Glassmaking . to accumulate or collect (molten glass) at the end of a tube for blowing, shaping, etc.

to come together around a central point; assemble

Let's gather round the fire and sing.

to collect or accumulate

Clouds were gathering in the northeast.

to grow, as by accretion; increase.

to become contracted into wrinkles, folds, creases, etc., as the brow or as cloth.

to come to a head, as a sore in suppurating.

a drawing together; contraction.

Often, gathers. a fold or pucker, as in gathered cloth.

an act or instance of gathering.

an amount or number gathered, as during a harvest.

Glassmaking . a mass of molten glass attached to the end of a punty. ?

be gathered to one's fathers

to die.