Gather

v. t. [imp. & p. p. GATHERED; p. pr. & vb. n. GATHERING.] [A-S. gaderian, gadrian, gadherian, from gador, at the same time, together; D. gaderen, from gader; N. H. Ger. gatter, M. H. Ger. gater, O. H. Ger. katarao, door, lattice, railing, M. H. Ger. gateren, N. H. Ger. guttern, to furnish with a lattice, to gather, vergattern, to inclose or shut with a trellis, to call soldiers together by beat of drum.] 1. To bring together; to collect, as a number of separate things, into one place, or into one aggregate body; to assemble; to congregate. And Belgium's capital had gathered then Her beauty and her chivalry. Byron. 2. To pick out and bring together from among what is of less value; to collect, as a harvest; to harvest; to cull; to pick; to pluck. “A rose just gathered from the stalk.” Dryden. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matt. vii. 16. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen. Ps. cvii. 47. 3. To accumulate by collecting and saving; to amass in large quantity or numbers. To pay the creditor . . . he must gather up money by degrees. Locke. 4. To bring closely together the parts or particles of; to make compact; to consolidate; to bring together in folds or plaits, as a garment; also, to draw together, as a piece of cloth, by a thread; to pucker; to plait. Gathering his flowing robe, he seemed to stand In act to speak, and graceful stretched his hand. Pope. 5. To derive, as an inference; to collect, as a conclusion, from circumstances that suggest, or arguments that prove; to infer; to conclude. Let me say no more: Gather the sequel by that went before. Shak. 6. To gain; to win. [Obs.] He gathers ground upon her in the chase. Dryden. To gather breath, to take breath; to respire freely; to have respite. Spenser.