gather

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
gather/ˈɡaðə(r)/

▶verb

• 1 come or bring together; assemble or accumulate.

• 2 bring together and take in from scattered places or sources.

  ■ harvest (a crop).

  ■ collect plants, fruits, etc., for food: hunting and gathering.

• 3 develop a higher degree of: the Green movement is gathering pace.

• 4 infer; understand.

• 5 summon up (a mental or physical attribute): he gathered his thoughts together.

• 6 draw together or towards oneself.

• 7 draw and hold together (fabric or a part of a garment) by running thread through it.

▶noun (gathers) a part of a garment that is gathered or drawn in.

– phrases
gather way (of a ship) begin to move.

– derivatives
gatherer noun.

– origin OE gaderian, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to together.