congregate

Everyday

1. To come together and form a group or crowd in one place. tree →
2. (church) To gather for worship. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature, animals congregate at waterholes or in flocks; in everyday life pupils congregate in the playground or at the school gate. In church life, people congregate for services, and the gathered people are called the «congregation». It tells the reader many people or animals are gathering. Formal; everyday words: «gather», «meet».

Examples

• Pupils congregated around the noticeboard to see the results. tree →
• Starlings congregate in huge flocks in the evening. tree →
• People congregated in the square for the celebration. tree →
• Elephants congregate at the waterhole in the dry season. tree →
• The faithful congregated in the church for Easter. tree →
• Please don't congregate in the corridors. tree →

Note

Regular verb: congregated, congregating. Noun: congregation (the people at a church service). It is more formal than «gather».