cluster

[ kluhs-ter ]
See synonyms for cluster on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a number of things of the same kind, growing or held together; a bunch: a cluster of grapes.

  2. a group of things or persons close together: There was a cluster of tourists at the gate.

  1. U.S. Army. a small metal design placed on a ribbon representing an awarded medal to indicate that the same medal has been awarded again: oak-leaf cluster.

  2. Phonetics. a succession of two or more contiguous consonants in an utterance, as the str- cluster of strap.

  3. Astronomy. a group of neighboring stars, held together by mutual gravitation, that have essentially the same age and composition and thus supposedly a common origin.: Compare globular cluster, open cluster, stellar association.

verb (used with object)
  1. to gather into a cluster or clusters.

  2. to furnish or cover with clusters.

verb (used without object)
  1. to form a cluster or clusters: The people clustered around to watch.

Origin of cluster

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English cluster, clyster bunch; cognate with Low German kluster

Other words for cluster

Other words from cluster

  • clus·ter·ing·ly, adverb
  • clus·ter·y, adjective
  • in·ter·clus·ter, adjective
  • sub·clus·ter, noun
  • un·clus·tered, adjective
  • un·clus·ter·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cluster in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cluster

cluster

/ (ˈklʌstə) /


noun
  1. a number of things growing, fastened, or occurring close together

  2. a number of persons or things grouped together

  1. US military a metal insignia worn on a medal ribbon to indicate a second award or a higher class of a decoration or order

  2. military

    • a group of bombs dropped in one stick, esp fragmentation and incendiary bombs

    • the basic unit of mines used in laying a minefield

  3. astronomy an aggregation of stars or galaxies moving together through space

  4. a group of two or more consecutive vowels or consonants

  5. statistics a naturally occurring subgroup of a population used in stratified sampling

  6. chem

    • a chemical compound or molecule containing groups of metal atoms joined by metal-to-metal bonds

    • the group of linked metal atoms present

verb
  1. to gather or be gathered in clusters

Origin of cluster

1
Old English clyster; related to Low German Kluster; see clod, clot

Derived forms of cluster

  • clustered, adjective
  • clusteringly, adverb
  • clustery, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012