释义 |
gath·er·ing \-th(ə)riŋ, -rēŋ\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English gadering, gaderung, from Old English gaderung, from gadrian, gaderian to gather + -ung, -ing -ing — more at gather 1. a. : the action or an instance of coming together or accumulating < a gathering of dust on the shelves > < that black gathering of clouds foretold a shower > < the gathering of melted snow into little streams > b. : a coming together of people in a group (as for social, religious, or political purposes) : assembly, meeting < cultural and civic gatherings > < the outstanding social gathering of the year > c. : a suppurating swelling : abscess 2. a. : the act or work of a gatherer (as in contracting, accumulating, or assembling something) b. : the collecting or gleaning of food and other raw materials from the wild < peoples whose economy is based on gathering are ill-situated to attain the stability essential to any high level of civilization > 3. : something that is gathered: as a. : a collection (as of money for charity) or compilation (as of literary fragments) b. : parison c. : a gather in cloth d. : the leaves of a book that are folded and stitched into one signature e. : sap collected at one time in a sugar-maple orchard < the evening gathering is usually much larger than the morning one is > |