cluster
UK /ˈklʌstə/ · US /ˈklʌstɚ/ noun, verb
Forms clusters clustering clustered clusterest clusteredst clustereth
- noun A bunch or group of several discrete items that are close to each other. “a cluster of islands”
- noun (astronomy) A group of galaxies, nebulae, or stars that appear to the naked eye to be near each other. “The Pleiades cluster contains seven bright stars.”
- noun (physical chemistry) An ensemble of bound atoms (especially of a metal) or molecules, intermediate in size between a molecule and a bulk solid.
- noun A group of computers that work together.
- noun A logical data storage unit containing one or more physical sectors (see block (noun)).
- noun (epidemiology) A group of cases of the same disease occurring around the same place or time. “A leukemia cluster has developed in the town.”
- noun (linguistics) Synonym of lexical bundle (“a sequence of two or more words that occur in a language with high frequency but are not idiomatic”). “examples of clusters would include in accordance with, so far, and the results of”
- noun A set of bombs or mines released as part of the same blast.
- verb To collect (animals, people, objects, data points, etc) into clusters (noun sense 1).
- verb To cover (with clusters); to scatter or strew in clusters (within); to distribute (objects) within such that they form clusters. “The sea is clustered with islands.”
- verb (intransitive) To form a cluster or group; to assemble, to gather. “The children clustered around the puppy.”
Synonyms
clump galaxy cluster star cluster bundle chunk lexical bundle constellate bunch clustering flock bunch up
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English cluster (“bunch, cluster, spray; compact body or mass, ball”) [and other forms], from Old English cluster, clyster (“cluster, bunch, branch”), from Proto-Germanic *klas-, *klus- (“to clump, lump together”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up; to clench; to amass”)) + *-þrą (suffix forming nouns denoting an instrument or tool). The English word is probably a doublet of clot.
The verb is derived from the noun.
* Dutch klister (“cluster”) (dialectal)
* Icelandic klasi (“cluster; bunch of grapes”)
* Low German Kluuster (“cluster”)
* Swedish kluster (“cluster”)
Webster’s 1913
- noun A number of things of the same kind growing together; a bunch.
- noun A number of similar things collected together or lying contiguous; a group; as, a cluster of islands. "Cluster of provinces." Motley.
- verb To grow in clusters or assemble in groups; to gather or unite in a cluster or clusters.
- verb To collect into a cluster or clusters; to gather into a bunch or close body.
Etymology [AS. cluster, clyster; cf. LG. kluster (also Sw. & Dan. klase a cluster of grapes, D. klissen to be entangled.)]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cluster”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details