: 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 Web
Raven Smith, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
Its infrared sensors were able to peer past large clouds of dust and gas to capture a grand spectacle of creation, a cluster of blue stars erupting into being.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
The 13 schools that could close or merge are clustered in a roughly 3-mile square in northwest-central Milwaukee, including neighborhoods like Arlington Heights, Franklin Heights, North Division and Sherman Park.
—Cleo Krejci, Journal Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cluster 
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Noun
Ever since, a pandemic of lookalike competitions has swept the globe, prompting clusters of men with the vaguest resemblances to our favorite celebrities to gather in parks all over.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
Its infrared sensors were able to peer past large clouds of dust and gas to capture a grand spectacle of creation, a cluster of blue stars erupting into being.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
For example, mobile refuge rooms by the nonprofit and real estate collective Designing Justice + Designing Spaces presents 10-by-10-foot, modular transitional units for people leaving prison, meant to be clustered in a communal environment.
—Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
The 13 schools that could close or merge are clustered in a roughly 3-mile square in northwest-central Milwaukee, including neighborhoods like Arlington Heights, Franklin Heights, North Division and Sherman Park.
—Cleo Krejci, Journal Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cluster
Dictionary Entries Near cluster
Cite this Entry
“Cluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cluster. Accessed 3 Dec. 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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