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gregarious

 - 3 dictionary results

gre⋅gar⋅i⋅ous

  [gri-gair-ee-uhs]
Use gregarious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. fond of the company of others; sociable.
2. living in flocks or herds, as animals.
3. Botany. growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together.
4. pertaining to a flock or crowd.
Origin:
1660–70; < L gregārius belonging to a flock, equiv. to greg- (s. of grex) flock + -ārius -arious

Related forms:
gre⋅gar⋅i⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
gre⋅gar⋅i⋅ous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. social, genial, outgoing, convivial, companionable, friendly, extroverted.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To gregarious
gre·gar·i·ous   (grĭ-gâr'ē-əs)   
adj.  

  1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. See Synonyms at social.

  2. Tending to move in or form a group with others of the same kind: gregarious bird species.

  3. Botany Growing in groups that are close together but not densely clustered or matted.


[Latin gregārius, belonging to a flock, from grex, greg-, flock; see ger- in Indo-European roots.]
gre·gar'i·ous·ly adv., gre·gar'i·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

gregarious 
1668, "living in flocks" (of animals), from L. gregarius, from grex (gen. gregis) "flock, herd," reduplication of PIE base *gere- "to gather together, assemble" (cf. Gk. ageirein "to assemble," agora "assembly;" O.C.S. grusti "handful;" Lith. gurgulys "chaos, confusion, gurguole "crowd, mass"). Sense of "sociable" first recorded 1789.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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