gather

v.

1. To come together

   assemble, meet, gather around, congregate, rally, crowd, throng, convene, collect, muster, unite, get together, flock together, hang around, flock in, pour in, associate, hold a reunion, reunite, forgather, resort, swarm, huddle, go into a huddle, rally around, group, converge, accumulate, cluster, concentrate, close, gang up*.

   Antonyms scatter*, disperse*, part. *

2. To bring together

   collect, assemble, rally, accumulate, aggregate, amass, muster, marshal, mobilize, round up, draw in, pick up, rake up, fish up, swoop up, scoop up, pile up; see also accumulate 1, assemble 2.

3. To conclude

   infer, deduce, find; see assume 1.

4. To harvest

   garner, reap, glean, take in; see harvest.

5. To choose

   pick, cull, select; see choose 1.

gather is the general term for a bringing or coming together to gather scattered objects, people gathered at the corners; collect usually implies careful choice in gathering from various sources, a bringing into an orderly arrangement, etc. he collects coins; assemble applies especially to the gathering together of persons for some special purpose assemble the students in the auditorium; muster applies to a formal assembling, especially of troops for inspection, roll call, etc. See also syn. study at infer.