cluster
UK: ˈklʌstə | US: ˈklʌstər
n. a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together
vt. to gather or grow into a cluster
vi. to form a cluster
The word "cluster" originates from the Old English clyster, meaning "a bunch or group," derived from the Proto-Germanic klus-, related to the idea of "closing" or "tight grouping." The root clus (from Latin claudere, "to shut") suggests things bound together, while -ter is a suffix forming collective nouns. Over time, "cluster" evolved to describe natural groupings (e.g., grapes) and later abstract collections (e.g., data clusters).
The stars form a bright cluster in the night sky.
She clustered the flowers into a small bouquet.
Data points tend to cluster around the center of the graph.
A cluster of tourists gathered near the monument.
Grapes grow in tight clusters on the vine.