cluster

Meanings

Noun

• A group or bunch of several discrete items that are close to each other.
• A number of individuals grouped together or collected in one place; a crowd; a mob.
• A group of galaxies or stars that appear near each other.
• A sequence of two or more words that occur in language with high frequency but are not idiomatic; a chunk, bundle, or lexical bundle.
• A secundal chord of three or more notes.
• A group of consonants.
• A group of computers that work together.
• A logical data storage unit containing one or more physical sectors (see block).
• A subset of a population whose members are sufficiently similar to each other and distinct from others as to be considered a distinct group; such a grouping in a set of observed data that is statistically significant.
• A set of bombs or mines released as part of the same blast.
• A small metal design that indicates that a medal has been awarded to the same person before.
• A clusterfuck.
• An ensemble of bound atoms or molecules, intermediate in size between a molecule and a bulk solid.

Verb

• To form a cluster or group.
• To collect into clusters.
• To cover with clusters.

Origin

• From Middle English cluster, from Old English cluster, clyster, from Proto-Germanic *klus-, *klas- + Proto-Germanic *-þrą, related to Low German Kluuster, dialectal Dutch klister, Swedish kluster, Icelandic klasi.