huddle

plural huddles

1. A small group of individuals in very close proximity to one another.

   It’s about as riveting as listening to a huddle of ents discuss the finer points of deciduous shedding.

   2023 May 25, Nic Reuben, “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review”, in The Guardian

   1. journalismA session in which a group of journalists assemble in an informal, dense cluster to question a person of interest.

      The post-PMQs huddle takes place just outside the press gallery, and all the journalists swarm first around the Prime Minister's press team[…]

      2018, Ayesha Hazarika, Tom Hamilton, Punch and Judy Politics: An Insiders' Guide to Prime Minister's Questions

   2. American footballA brief meeting of all the players from one team that are on the field with the purpose of planning the following play.
2. bridgeA hesitation during play to think about one's next move.
3. obsoleteA dense and disorderly crowd.

present singular third person huddles · participle present huddling · participle past huddled · past huddled

1. intransitiveTo crowd together.

   The sheep huddled together seeking warmth.

   1 more example

   During all these operations the apes who had entered sat huddled near the door watching their chief, while those outside strained and crowded to catch a glimpse of what transpired within.

   1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 4, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC

2. intransitiveTo curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso; to crouch; to assume a position similar to that of an embryo in the womb.

   Just south of Wamphray station they overtook the runaway. The dim figure of Mitchell could be seen sitting huddled behind the stormboard. They shouted and whistled. He paid no attention.

   1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 54

3. To get together and discuss a topic.

   1 more example

   George Hirsch, chairman of the board of Road Runners, said officials huddled all day Friday, hoping to devise an alternate race. They considered replacing the marathon with a race that would comprise the final 10 miles of marathon, starting at the base of the Queensboro 59th Street Bridge on the Manhattan side. But that was not deemed plausible, Mr. Hirsch said.

   2012 November 2, Ken Belson, New York Times, retrieved 02 Nov 2012

4. intransitiveAmerican footballTo form a huddle.
5. transitiveTo crowd (things) together; to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.

   Our adversary, huddling several suppositions together,[…]makes a medley and confusion.

   1689 December (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], Two Treatises of Government: […], London: […] Awnsham Churchill, […], →OCLC

6. transitiveTo do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; usually with a following preposition or adverb (huddle on, huddle up, huddle together).

   Huddle up a peace.

   1845, John Henry Newman, Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

   3 more examples

   Let him forecast his work with timely care, / Which else is huddled when the skies are fair.

   1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   Now, in all haste, they huddle on / Their hoods, their cloaks, and get them gone.

   1728, Jonathan Swift, The Journal of a Modern Lady

   This resolution she accordingly executed; and the next morning before the sun, she huddled on her cloaths, and at a very unfashionable, unseasonable, unvisitable hour, went to Lady Bellaston […]

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

7. intransitivebridgeTo hesitate during play while thinking about one's next move.

1. not comparableHuddled, confused, congested.

   Gowan snored, each respiration choking to a huddle fall as though he would never breathe again.

   1911, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Library of America, published 1985, page 51

   2 more examples

   There was in Sicilie a certaine fisherman who resembled in all points Sura the pro-consull, not onely in visage and feature of the face, but also in mowing with his mouth when he spake, in drawing his tongue short, and in his huddle and thicke speech.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book VII.] XII. Examples of many that have been very like and resembled one another.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 162

   The evangelists are easily distinguished from the rest, by a passionate zeal and love which the painter has thrown in their faces; the huddle group of those who stand most distant, are admirable representations of men abashed with their late unbelief and hardness of heart.

   1713, Richard Steele, The Guardian, number 21

1. A surname originating as a patronymic.