Forms: 1 clyster, 4–7 clustre, 5 clustyr, (clowster), closter, clostre, (6 (Spenser) gluster, 8 clusture), 4– cluster. [OE. clyster, rarely cluster = North Ger. kluster.
Cluster app.:—OTeut. *klŭstro-, from *klŭt-tro-, from same root as clot, clout, cleat: see CLOT.]
1. A collection of things of the same kind, as fruits or flowers, growing closely together; a bunch. a. Originally of grapes (in which sense bunch is now the usual term).
a. 800. Corpus Gloss., 318 (O. E. T. 45). Botrum, clystri.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 139/7. Bacido, botrus, clyster.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Deut. xxxii. 32. Ðæt biteroste clyster.
1382. Wyclif, Song Solomon vii. 8. Thi tetes shul ben as the clustris of a vyne.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 2484. Two exploratours … Yt broght the grape clustre.
1595. Spenser, Col. Clout, 600. The glusters of ripe grapes.
1611. Bible, Micah vii. 1. There is no cluster to eate.
1713. Young, Last Day, I. 216. Spread all thy purple clusters, tempting vine.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 273. The stem which holds the cluster is half cut through.
fig. 1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 146. A cluster of the ciuill or common law is better, in their seeming, than a whole vintage of diuinity.
b. Of other fruits, or of flowers; also of other natural growths, as the eggs of reptiles, the air-cells of the lungs, etc.
1382. Wyclif, Song Solomon i. 13. The clustre of cipre tree my lemman to me.
c. 1400. Maundev., xxvi. (1839), 265. Apples … Mo than an 100 in a cluster.
1483. Cath. Angl., 69. A Cluster of nuttis, complustrum.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., III. X. (Arb.), 179. Their egges are engendered in … clusters.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., 349/2. Five Vertebræ … in a cluster like a round ball, in the Body of a Porter that carried burthens.
1851. Carpenter, Man. Phys., 400. Each of the ultimate ramifications of the bronchial tubes communicates with a cluster of these air-cells.
1880. Gray, Struct. Bot., No. 400. A Thyrsus is a compact panicle … such as the clusters of flowers of the lilac and horse-chestnut, a bunch of grapes, &c.
† 2. A rounded mass or conglomeration; a clot, a ‘clutter.’ Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 151. Under þe arisynge of þe sonne was i-seie a dredful cluster of fuyre.
1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. VIII., an. 6 (1550), L j. Within the flappe of the lyft syde of his jacket, we fynde a great cluster of bloude.
3. A number of persons, animals or things gathered or situated close together; an assemblage, group, swarm, crowd.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1438 (Ashm.). On ilka staffe of a staire stike wald a cluster [Dubl. clostre].
1576. Fleming, Panoplie Ep., 275. The citizens, who … gathered together in a cluster at the gates.
1626. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. 1045. As bees doe in the sunne, all in a cluster.
1697. Dampier, Voy., 476 (R.). The cluster of Islands; lying South of the Andeman Islands, are called by our Seamen the Nicobar Islands.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N.-W. Pass., x. 148. Some clusters of islets.
1854. Tomlinson, Arago’s Astron., 47. Objects, which had been called nebulæ, are evidently nothing but clusters of stars.
b. fig. Of immaterial things.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 448. Sensitive and reflective ideas … will run together in clusters.
1855. H. Spencer, Princ. Psychol. (1872), I. II. ii. 175. The component feelings can unite into coherent … clusters.
4. Comb. a. In names of certain plants having clustered fruit, as cluster-cherry, -grape, -nectarine, -pine, -potato, etc.; b. cluster-candlestick, a branched candlestick, a candelabrum; cluster-cherry, the bird-cherry or hag-berry (Prunus Padus); cluster-cup, a kind of fungus or morbid growth on the leaves of plants; cluster-spring, a spiral carriage-spring, composed of several separate springs; † cluster-sugar, ? moist or raw sugar; † cluster-tene, the stalk of a bunch of grapes. See also CLUSTERFIST.
1859. Mrs. Gaskell, Round the Sofa, I. 7–8. A great *cluster candlestick … bearing seven or eight wax-lights.
1823. Wordsw., Scenery Lakes, iii. 77. [The] wild *cluster-cherry (here called heck-berry).
1883. Gd. Words, 733. Growing on the under sides of leaves may be found many beautiful little objects known as *clustercups. These clustercups are probably … conditions of rusts and mildews and brands.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 234. Vines … Morillon, Chassela, *Cluster Grape.
1707–12. J. Mortimer, Husbandry, 555 (J.). The small Black-Grape, by some called the Currant, or Cluster-Grape.
c. 1865. Letheby, in Circ. Sc., I. 106/1. The *cluster pine of Bordeaux (Pinus pinaster).
1791. Bentham, Wks. (1838–43), X. 257. A good English acre should produce at least 480 bushels of the *cluster potato.
1694. Westmacott, Script. Herb., 35. Boiled and evaporated to the consistence of Honey, which when cold, is granulated to our *Clyster or Kitchin Sugar.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., X. 194. The *closter tenes in hoote picke be brent.
