gathered
She gathered her belongings before leaving the house.
She collected her items in preparation for departure.
To come together in a group or place.
The crowd gathered in the town square to celebrate the festival.
People assembled in the central area for the celebration.
Birds gathered on the branches of the tree.
Birds congregated on the tree's limbs.
Often implies a deliberate or natural assembly of people, animals, or things.
To collect or accumulate something.
He gathered his thoughts before speaking.
He organized his ideas to prepare for his speech.
The farmer gathered the harvest before the storm.
The farmer collected the crops prior to the weather turning.
Can refer to physical items or abstract concepts like information or emotions.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Past vs. Present Tense
Use 'gathered' for past actions ('She gathered the books yesterday') and 'gather' for present/future ('They will gather tomorrow').
Gold Rule
Avoid Redundancy
Do not use 'gathered together'—'gathered' already implies a group or collection. Correct: 'The team gathered.' Incorrect: 'The team gathered together.'
Word Origin
From Middle English 'gadren', from Old English 'gaderian', related to Old Norse 'safna' and Old High German 'sammalōn', ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*ga- + *þizōną' (to bring together).
Usage Notes
Commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts. In formal writing, 'collected' or 'assembled' may be preferred for clarity. The past tense 'gathered' is often interchangeable with 'collected' when referring to objects.