congregation, congregating
(noun) the act of congregating
congregation
(noun) an assemblage of people or animals or things collected together; “a congregation of children pleaded for his autograph”; “a great congregation of birds flew over”
congregation, fold, faithful
(noun) a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church
Source: WordNet® 3.1
congregation (countable and uncountable, plural congregations)
The act of congregating or collecting together.
A gathering of faithful in a temple, church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. It can also refer to the people who are present at a devotional service in the building, particularly in contrast to the pastor, minister, imam, rabbi etc. and/or choir, who may be seated apart from the general congregation or lead the service (notably in responsory form).
A Roman Congregation, a main department of the Vatican administration of the Catholic Church.
A corporate body whose members gather for worship, or the members of such a body.
Any large gathering of people.
A group of eagles.
(UK, Oxford University) The main body of university staff, comprising academics, administrative staff, heads of colleges, etc.
Source: Wiktionary
Con`gre*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. congregatio: cf. F. congrégation.]
1. The act of congregating, or bringing together, or of collecting into one aggregate or mass. The means of reduction in the fire is but by the congregation of homogeneal parts. Bacon.
2. A collection or mass of separate things. A foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. Shak.
3. An assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet. He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. Macaulay.
4. (Anc. Jewish Hist.)
Definition: The whole body of the Jewish people; -- called also Congregation of the Lord. It is a sin offering for the congregation. Lev. iv. 21.
5. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A body of cardinals or other ecclesiastics to whom as intrusted some departament of the church business; as, the Congregation of the Propaganda, which has charge of the missions of the Roman Catholic Church. (b) A company of religious persons forming a subdivision of a monastic order.
6. The assemblage of Masters and Doctors at Oxford or Cambrige University, mainly for the granting of degrees. [Eng.]
7. (Scotch Church Hist.)
Definition: the name assumed by the Protestant party under John Knox. The leaders called themselves (1557) Lords of the Congregation.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 February 2025
(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”
The earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking as the modern beverage appeared in modern-day Yemen. In the middle of the 15th century in Sufi shrines where coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed for drinking. The Yemenis procured the coffee beans from the Ethiopian Highlands.
