huddle

Definition

A dense and disorderly crowd.

Etymology

From Middle English *hudelen, alteration (due to hudels, hidels (“hiding place”), see hiddle) of *huderen, hoderen (“to cover; press together; huddle”), a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide + -le and/or hide + -er. Compare Low German huderken (“to brood; coddle; nurse; lull children to sleep”).

Example Sentences

• "It’s about as riveting as listening to a huddle of ents discuss the finer points of deciduous shedding."
• "The post-PMQs huddle takes place just outside the press gallery, and all the journalists swarm first around the Prime Minister's press team[…]"