Clustered

How to spell clustered

9 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce clustered

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does clustered mean?

1. verbGathered or grew together into a close group.
2. adjectiveArranged in or forming a close group.

Clustered in a sentence

• verb

  The small cottages clustered around the village green.

• adjective

  The clustered market stalls left only a narrow walkway between them.

• verb

  Reporters clustered near the courthouse steps waiting for a statement.

• adjective

  A clustered arrangement of solar panels covered the entire roof.

Where does clustered come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grows from the noun and verb 'cluster', which traces back to the Old English 'clyster', meaning a bunch, a knot, or a clump of things growing or gathered closely together, as with a cluster of grapes or berries. The word belongs to the native Germanic layer of English and is probably related to 'clot', sharing the underlying idea of small things sticking or massing together into a lump. For centuries 'cluster' stayed largely tied to plants and fruit before broadening to describe any tight group, whether of people, stars, or houses. The verb sense, meaning to gather or grow into such a group, was formed from the noun, and adding the regular '-ed' ending produces 'clustered' for the past tense and the participle. The spelling stays refreshingly honest: it is simply 'cluster' plus '-ed', with no silent letters or doubled consonants to trip up the writer.

How the word is built

• cluster (from Old English clyster: a bunch or cluster)
• -ed (past tense / participle suffix)