Definition of CONGLOMERATE

conglomerate

Meanings

Plural: conglomerates

Noun

  • a composite rock made up of particles of varying size
  • a group of diverse companies under common ownership and run as a single organization
  • A cluster of heterogeneous things.
  • A corporation formed by the combination of several smaller corporations whose activities are unrelated to the corporation's primary activity.
  • A rock consisting of gravel or pebbles embedded in a matrix.

Verb

  • collect or gather
  • To combine together into a larger mass.
  • To combine together into a larger corporation.

Adjective Satellite

  • composed of heterogeneous elements gathered into a mass
    • "the conglomerate peoples of New England"

Adj

  • Clustered together into a mass.
  • Composed of fragments of rock, pebbles, or stones cemented together.

Origin / Etymology

First attested in the second part of the 16ᵗʰ century; from Latin conglomerātus, perfect passive participle of conglomerō (“to pile into a heap, to roll together”) (see -ate (Etymology 1,2 and 3)), from con- (prefix indicating a being or bringing together of several objects) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by, near, with”)) + glomerāre (from glomerō (“to pile into a heap, to make into a ball, glomerate”), from glomus (“ball of thread; ball-shaped mass”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to form into a ball; ball”)).

Synonyms

accumulate, amass, cumulate, empire, gather, pile up, pudding stone

Scrabble Score: 17

conglomerate is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
conglomerate is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
conglomerate is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 22

conglomerate is a valid Words With Friends word