: a number of similar things that occur together: such as
a
: two or more consecutive consonants or vowels in a segment of speech
b
: a group of buildings and especially houses built close together on a sizable tract in order to preserve open spaces larger than the individual yard for common recreation
c
: an aggregation of stars or galaxies that appear close together in the sky and are gravitationally associated
the Perseus cluster of galaxies
d
: a larger than expected number of cases of disease (such as leukemia) occurring in a particular locality, group of people, or period of time
e
: a number of computers networked together in order to function as a single computing system
Consisting of groups of inexpensive machines cobbled together, clusters in many ways have supplanted traditional supercomputers.—
Elizabeth K. Wilson
Elizabeth K. Wilson
clustered; clustering
ˈklə-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to collect into a cluster
cluster the tents together
2
: to furnish with clusters
the bridge was clustered with men and officers—Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
: to grow, assemble, or occur in a cluster
they clustered around the fire
Synonyms
Examples of cluster in a Sentence
Noun
a cluster of cottages along the shore
A small cluster of people had gathered at the scene of the accident.
Verb
The children clustered around the storyteller.
the mice clustered together into a small burrow
Recent Examples on the WebCharles Tiefer, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
The house was found in Pompeii’s Insula dei Casti Amanti site, a cluster of buildings that opened to the public this year.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
CBS News, 26 Oct. 2024
Judo; diving; rhythmic, artistic and trampoline gymnastics; fencing; and table tennis are among a dozen that will be clustered in or near downtown Los Angeles, the most transit rich-pocket in Southern California, with multiple rail and bus lines converging.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cluster 
Noun
Raytheon just agreed last week to pay a mind-boggling $950 million in criminal and civil charges to the U.S. government for a cluster of offenses ranging from inflated prices for missiles, to bribes for sales to Qatar.
—Charles Tiefer, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
The house was found in Pompeii’s Insula dei Casti Amanti site, a cluster of buildings that opened to the public this year.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
Today, Angoon remains a quaint village of about 420 people, with colorful old homes and totem poles clustered on the west side of Admiralty Island, accessible by ferry or float plane, in the Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest.
—CBS News, 26 Oct. 2024
Judo; diving; rhythmic, artistic and trampoline gymnastics; fencing; and table tennis are among a dozen that will be clustered in or near downtown Los Angeles, the most transit rich-pocket in Southern California, with multiple rail and bus lines converging.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cluster
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cluster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cluster
Cite this Entry
“Cluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cluster. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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Medical Definition
cluster
noun
clus·ter
ˈkləs-tər
: a larger than expected number of cases of disease (as leukemia) occurring in a particular locality, group of people, or period of time
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