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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Congregate: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：gather together (congregate)

congregate 🔊

/ˈkɒŋ.ɡrɪ.ɡeɪt/

To come together into a group or crowd, like people or animals gathering in one place.

Congregate meaning illustrated by people gathering in a public square.

gather together 🔊

➕

/ˈɡæðər təˈɡeðər/

Refers to the action of people or animals coming together to form a group or crowd in a specific location.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'congregatus' (past participle of congregare): com- (together) + grex (herd, flock).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a CONgress (meeting) of GREGarious (social) people all congregating at the GATE.

📖 Example

On sunny weekends, families congregate in the park for picnics and games. 🔊 On weekends when the sun is shining, families gather together in the park to have picnics and play games.

🔗 Collocations

congregate in – to gather together within a specific place or area

congregate around – to gather in a circle or group surrounding something

congregate for – to come together for a specific purpose or event

🔄 Synonyms

assemble (v.) – to come together as a group, often for a formal purpose

gather (v.) – to come or bring together into one place or group

convene (v.) – to come together for a meeting or assembly

🚫 Antonyms

disperse (v.) – to go or cause to go in different directions; to scatter

scatter (v.) – to throw or spread things loosely over an area; to separate and move apart

separate (v.) – to cause to move or be apart; to divide

🌱 Derivatives

congregation (n.) – a group of people assembled for religious worship or a gathering

congregational (adj.) – relating to a congregation or the act of congregating

📖 Cultural Story

The word originates from Latin 'congregatus', meaning 'to gather into a flock'. It entered English via ecclesiastical Latin, often used to describe people assembling for religious or social purposes. Its root 'grex' (herd) is shared with 'gregarious'.

Meaning 2：flock together (congregate)

congregate 🔊

/ˈkɒŋ.ɡrɪ.ɡeɪt/

Especially used for birds or animals coming together to form a flock or group.

Congregate definition shown by birds flocking together on a feeder.

flock together 🔊

➕

/flɒk təˈɡeðər/

Specifically describes animals, particularly birds, gathering to form a cohesive social group or flock.

📁 Category：Animal Protection 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

In winter, small birds often congregate around the bird feeder in my garden. 🔊 During the winter season, small birds frequently gather around the bird feeder in my garden.

🔗 Collocations

congregate in flocks – to gather together as a large group of birds

congregate for warmth – to come together to share body heat, common in animals

congregate at watering holes – to gather at sources of water, typical of wildlife

🔄 Synonyms

flock (v.) – to gather or move in a large group, especially birds

herd (v.) – to come together in a herd, typically used for larger animals like cattle or elephants

swarm (v.) – to move in or form a large, dense group, often insects

🚫 Antonyms

disperse (v.) – to break up and go away in different directions

scatter (v.) – to separate and move away quickly in different directions

🌱 Derivatives

congregation (n.) – can also refer to a flock of birds or a group of animals

congregational (adj.) – pertaining to the act of animals gathering together