v. i. [ Pref.on-+ L. gratus pleasing. Cf. Agree. ] To agree. [ bs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To salute mutually. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To come together; to assemble; to meet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even there where merchants most do congregate. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Congregated; p. pr. & vb. n. Congregating ] To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to assemble; to bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together; to mass; to compact. [ 1913 Webster ]

Any multitude of Christian men congregated may be termed by the name of a church. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cold congregates all bodies. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

The great receptacle
Of congregated waters he called Seas. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. congregatus, p. p. of congregare to congregate; on- + gregare to collect into a flock, fr. grex flock, herd. See Gregarious. ] Collected; compact; close. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. congregatio: cf. F. congrégation. ] 1. The act of congregating, or bringing together, or of collecting into one aggregate or mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

The means of reduction in the fire is but by the congregation of homogeneal parts. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A collection or mass of separate things. [ 1913 Webster ]

A foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An assembly of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ Bunyan ] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Anc. Jewish Hist.) The whole body of the Jewish people; -- called also Congregation of the Lord. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is a sin offering for the congregation. Lev. iv. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A body of cardinals or other ecclesiastics to whom as intrusted some department of the church business; as, the Congregation of the Propaganda, which has charge of the missions of the Roman Catholic Church. (b) A company of religious persons forming a subdivision of a monastic order. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The assemblage of Masters and Doctors at Oxford or Cambrige University, mainly for the granting of degrees. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Scotch Church Hist.) the name assumed by the Protestant party under John Knox. The leaders called themselves (1557) Lords of the Congregation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to a congregation; conducted, or participated in, by a congregation; as, congregational singing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Belonging to the system of Congregationalism, or to Congregationalist; holding to the faith and polity of Congregationalism; as, a Congregational church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That system of church organization which vests all ecclesiastical power in the assembled brotherhood of each local church. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The faith and polity of the Congregational churches, taken collectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense (which is its usual signification) Congregationalism is the system of faith and practice common to a large body of evangelical Trinitarian churches, which recognize the local brotherhood of each church as independent of all dictation in ecclesiastical matters, but are united in fellowship and joint action, as in councils for mutual advice, and in consociations, conferences, missionary organizations, etc., and to whose membership the designation “Congregationalists” is generally restricted; but Unitarian and other churches are Congregational in their polity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who belongs to a Congregational church or society; one who holds to Congregationalism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Congresses /plu>. [ L. congressus, fr. congredi, p. p. -gressus, to go or come together; con- + grati to go or step, gradus step: cf. F. congr&unr_;s. See Grade. ] 1. A meeting of individuals, whether friendly or hostile; an encounter. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Here Pallas urges on, and Lausus there;
Their congress in the field great Jove withstands. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sudden encounter; a collision; a shock; -- said of things. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

From these laws may be deduced the rules of the congresses and reflections of two bodies. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The coming together of a male and female in sexual commerce; the act of coition. Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A gathering or assembly; a conference. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A formal assembly, as of princes, deputies, representatives, envoys, or commissioners; esp., a meeting of the representatives of several governments or societies to consider and determine matters of common interest. [ 1913 Webster ]

The European powers strove to . . . accommodate their differences at the congress of Vienna. Alison. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The collective body of senators and representatives of the people of a nation, esp. of a republic, constituting the chief legislative body of the nation. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the Congress of the United States (which took the place of the Federal Congress, March 4, 1789), the Senate consists of two Senators from each State, chosen by the State legislature for a term of six years, in such a way that the terms of one third of the whole number expire every year; the House of Representatives consists of members elected by the people of the several Congressional districts, for a term of two years, the term of all ending at the same time. The united body of Senators and Representatives for any term of two years for which the whole body of Representatives is chosen is called one Congress. Thus the session which began in December, 1887, was the first (or long) session, and that which began in December, 1888, was the second (or short) session, of the Fiftieth Congress. When an extra session is had before the date of the first regular meeting of a Congress, that is called the first session, and the following regular session is called the second session. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The lower house of the Spanish Cortes, the members of which are elected for three years. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Continental Congress, an assembly of deputies from the thirteen British colonies in America, appointed to deliberate in respect to their common interests. They first met in 1774, and from time thereafter until near the close of the Revolution. --
The Federal Congress, the assembly of representatives of the original States of the American Union, who met under the Articles of Confederation from 1781 till 1789. --
Congress boot or
Congress gaiter, a high shoe or half-boot, coming above the ankle, and having the sides made in part of some elastic material which stretches to allow the boot to be drawn on and off. [ U.S. ] --
Congress water, a saline mineral water from the Congress spring at Saratoga, in the State of New York.

Syn. -- Assembly; meeting; convention; convocation; council; diet; conclave; parliament; legislature. [ 1913 Webster ]