crowd

[[t]kra͟ʊd[/t]]

♦♦

crowds, crowding, crowded

1) N-COUNT-COLL: oft N of n A crowd is a large group of people who have gathered together, for example to watch or listen to something interesting, or to protest about something.

A huge crowd gathered in a square outside the Kremlin walls...

It took some two hours before the crowd was fully dispersed...

The crowd were enormously enthusiastic...

The explosions took place in shopping centres as crowds of people were shopping for Mothers' Day.

Syn:

throng

2) N-COUNT: usu supp N A particular crowd is a group of friends, or a set of people who share the same interests or job. [INFORMAL]

All the old crowd have come out for this occasion.

3) VERB When people crowd around someone or something, they gather closely together around them.

[V round/around n] The hungry refugees crowded around the tractors...

[V round/around] Police blocked off the road as hotel staff and guests crowded around.

Syn:

cluster

4) V-ERG If people crowd into a place or are crowded into a place, large numbers of them enter it so that it becomes very full.

[V into n] Hundreds of thousands of people have crowded into the center of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius...

[be V-ed into n] One group of journalists were crowded into a minibus...

[V-ed] `Bravo, bravo,' chanted party workers crowded in the main hall. [Also V n into n]

Syn:

pack, cram

5) VERB If a group of people crowd a place, there are so many of them there that it is full.

[V n] Thousands of demonstrators crowded the streets shouting slogans.

Syn:

pack

6) VERB If people crowd you, they stand very closely around you trying to see or speak to you, so that you feel uncomfortable.

[V n] It had been a tense, restless day with people crowding her all the time.

Phrasal Verbs:

- crowd in

- crowd out