Bunch Definition

bŭnch

bunched, bunches, bunching

noun

bunches

A cluster or tuft of things growing together.

A bunch of grapes.

Webster's New World

A collection of things of the same kind fastened or grouped together, or regarded as belonging together.

A bunch of keys.

Webster's New World

A group of like items or individuals gathered or placed together.

A bunch of keys on a ring; people standing around in bunches.

American Heritage

A group of people, esp. of the same kind.

Webster's New World

A considerable number or amount; a lot.

A bunch of trouble; a whole bunch of food.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

bunched, bunches, bunching

To gather or form into a cluster.

Bunched my fingers into a fist.

American Heritage

To form or collect into a bunch or bunches; gather together in a mass.

Webster's New World

To gather into loose folds or wads, as a dress, skirt, etc.

Webster's New World

To form a cluster or group.

Runners bunching up at the starting line.

American Heritage

To be gathered together in folds, as fabric.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Bunch

Singular:

bunch

Plural:

From Middle English bunche (“hump, swelling”), variant of *bunge (compare dialectal English bung (“heap, grape bunch”)), from Proto-Germanic *bunkōn, *bunkan, *bungōn (“heap, crowd”) (compare West Frisian bonke (“bone, lump, bump”), German Bunge (“tuber”), Danish bunke (“heap, pile”)), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ-, *bʰéng̑ʰus (“thick, dense, fat”) (compare Hittite panku (“total, entire”), Tocharian B pkante (“volume, fatness”), Lithuanian búožė (“knob”), Ancient Greek παχύς (pachýs, “thick”), Sanskrit बहु (bahú, “thick; much”)).

From Wiktionary
Middle English bonche probably from Flemish bondje diminutive of bont bundle from Middle Dutch bundle

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition