gathering

noun

1 she rose to address the gathering:

assembly, meeting, meet, convention, rally, turnout, congress, convocation, conclave, council, synod, symposium, forum, muster, tweetup;

assemblage, collection, company, congregation, audience, crowd, throng, mass, multitude, group, party, band, knot, flock, mob, horde, pack;

informal get-together;

formal concourse;

historical conventicle.

2 the gathering of data for a future book:

collecting, collection, garnering, amassing, accumulation, accrual, cumulation, assembly, assembling;

stockpiling, hoarding, building up, buildup;

rare amassment.