What does glomerate mean?
Glomerate describes things that are gathered together in a compact mass. The adjective can characterize a collection, as in a glomerate mass of flowers, while the verb means to assemble separate elements into such a mass. In geology, a glomerate is a sedimentary rock formed from rounded fragments, such as pebbles or mineral grains, that have been cemented together. The word comes from Latin and carries a technical or literary tone, so it is more likely to appear in scientific, geographical, or descriptive writing than in casual conversation. Its usefulness lies in conveying both the idea of physical clustering and the result of separate elements becoming one coherent mass. Although related to the more familiar agglomerate, glomerate is the more concise and traditional term for the adjective, verb, and geological noun.
Gathered or clustered together in a compact mass; forming a dense group.
"The plant has a glomerate head of small purple flowers."
To gather or collect separate elements into a compact mass.
"The droplets gradually glomerate on the cool surface."
A mass of clustered material; especially a sedimentary rock composed of rounded fragments cemented together.
"The cliff exposes a remarkable glomerate of pebbles and mineral fragments."
The plural is used for distinct masses or geological rock bodies.
"Several separate glomerates occur along the valley wall."
From the Latin for a ball or cluster, glomerate is a word for things that come together in a compact mass.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glomerate come from?
The word derives from Latin glomeratus, the past participle of glomerare, meaning to form into a ball or compact mass. Its root, glomus, refers to a ball, clump, or rounded mass, and underlies related forms such as glomus, glomerulus, and glomerule. English borrowed the word in the early modern period for the processes and results of gathering into a mass, while later technical usage established the geological sense.
Related word forms
How glomerate is actually used
The adjective and verb are relatively literary or technical, and the noun is especially associated with geology. The word has a formal, descriptive tone and is less common in everyday speech than words such as gather, collect, or cluster.
Easily confused with glomerate
Glomerate means gathered or clustered into a mass, while agglomerate is a closely related term that more often means to bring separate items together or, as a noun, a large accumulated collection.