# clustering

Pronunciation: US say "KLUS-tur-ing" /ˈklʌstɚɪŋ/; UK say "KLUS-tuh-ring" /ˈklʌstəɹɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A grouping of several similar things that appear close together.
   - Simple: A group of similar things placed close together.
   - _The clustering of small shops along the street draws weekend crowds._
   - _Researchers noted a clustering of cases in the same neighborhood._
4. The undesirable grouping of elements into adjacent slots of a hash table, which hurts performance.
   - Simple: When stored items bunch up next to each other in a computer table and slow it down.
   - _Heavy clustering forced the hash table to probe many slots before finding a free one._
   - _Linear probing tends to produce clustering that worsens as the table fills._
5. The division of a population into concentrated groups on the basis of ethnicity, economic status, or religion.
   - Simple: When people live in groups based on things like religion, money, or background.
   - _Researchers mapped the clustering of immigrant communities across the city._
   - _Religious clustering shaped voting patterns throughout the region._
6. A prewriting technique in which ideas are written around a central idea inside a circle and connected to it with radiating lines.
   - Simple: A way to plan writing by drawing a main idea in a circle and linking related ideas around it.
   - _The workshop began with clustering to generate topics for the memoir._
   - _He sketched a quick clustering diagram to organize his argument._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of cluster. — present participle and gerund of cluster
   - Simple: Present participle of cluster. Use this form for an action happening now, often after a form of "be".
   - _Storm clouds are clustering over the mountains._
   - _Investors began clustering around the new technology._

## Adjective

3. Tending to come together and form a cluster.
   - Simple: Coming together into a tight group.
   - _The clustering symptoms pointed to a single underlying cause._
   - _Clustering galaxies form vast structures across space._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/clustering (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).