From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcrowdcrowd1 /kraʊd/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 [countable]CROWD a large group of people who have gathered together to do something, for example to watch something or protest about somethingcrowd of a crowd of angry protesters a crowd of 30,000 spectators There were crowds of shoppers in the street. A vast crowd gathered in the main square. She mingled with the crowd of guests, exchanging greetings. Saturday’s game was watched by a capacity crowd (=the maximum number of people that a sports ground etc can hold). Troops fired tear gas and shots to disperse a crowd of 15,000 demonstrators.► see thesaurus at group2 [singular] informalFRIEND a group of people who know each other, work together etc I didn’t know him; he wasn’t one of the usual crowd.3 → the crowdCOLLOCATIONSverbsa crowd gathersA large crowd had gathered to watch the procession go past.a crowd cheers (=shouts to show praise, support etc)The crowd cheered as the team came onto the pitch.a crowd roars (=shouts in a very excited way)As the band appeared the crowd roared in approval.a crowd surges forward (=moves forward all together)Police officers began to lose control and the crowd surged forward.a crowd disperses/breaks up (=goes away in different directions)Seeing there would be no more entertainment, the crowd began to disperse.a crowd lines the street/route etcA crowd lined the street to catch a glimpse of the president.attract/draw a crowdThe ceremony is expected to draw a crowd of more than 1,000.pull a crowd/pull in the crowds (=make a lot of people come to something)Low prices always pull in the crowds.disperse/break up a crowd (=make a crowd go away in different directions)A few warning shots were fired in an attempt to disperse the crowd.mingle/mix with the crowd (=join a crowd to be social or in order not to be noticed)The actors went outside to talk to and mingle with the crowd.adjectivesa big/large/huge crowdA big crowd is expected tomorrow for the final match.a good crowd (=a big one)There was a good crowd on the first night of the show.a capacity crowd (=the maximum number of people that a place can hold)The band performed brilliantly to a capacity crowd.a sellout crowd (=one that has bought all the tickets for something)The team won in front of a sellout crowd of 17,765.a record crowd (=the biggest one there has ever been)They were playing before a record crowd of 50,000.a bumper crowd (=a very big one)As usual there was a bumper crowd at the festival.phrasesa crowd of peopleI pushed my way through the crowd of people.a crowd of onlookers (=of people who stop to watch something that is happening)A crowd of onlookers had gathered to see what all the fuss was about. THESAURUScrowd a large number of people together in one placeThe exhibition is expected to attract large crowds of visitors.mob a crowd of noisy and violent people who are difficult to controlThe mob set fire to cars and buildings.mass a very large crowd which is not moving and which is very difficult to move throughthe mass of people in the stationhorde a large crowd of people, especially people who are behaving in a way that you disapprove of or that annoys youthe hordes of tourists on the islanddroves [plural] a crowd of people – used especially when you are talking about a crowd of people who move from one place to anotherThe public came in droves to see the event.throng literary a very large crowdA great throng had gathered to listen to his speech.flock a large group of people of the same type, especially when they have a leaderA flock of children were being shown through the museum.pack a group of people of the same type, especially a group you do not approve ofA pack of reporters shouted questions.swarm a large crowd of people who are moving quickly in many directions in a very uncontrolled waya swarm of children in the playgroundcrush a crowd of people who are pressed close togetherThere was such a crush on the Metro this morning.multitude formal or literary a very large number of people, especially ordinary peopleThe Emperor came out to speak to the multitude. → group1
Examples from the Corpus
crowd• a crowd of angry protesters• A crowd of reporters were waiting for her at the airport.• He braced as he was swallowed up by the adoring crowd and swept toward the door by the moving mass.• It may be necessary to change your child's school if they get in with a bad crowd.• I don't go to football games because I don't like big crowds.• But in the winter, cluster flies aggregate in thick black crowds jammed into cracks and crannies inside the house.• An enormous crowd gathered to watch the parade.• a football crowd• A huge crowd gathered to hear Mandela speak.• I walked down Regent Street, with its crowds of tourists and Christmas shoppers.• The exhibition is expected to attract large crowds of visitors.• Immobile among the moving crowd, he stood there and watched.• It is surprising that no crowd reaction to the miracle is given.• In this frigid season, crowds lined up to buy sugar, milk, chocolate and potatoes.• I watched as he found Doriot and hand in hand they moved more deeply into the crowd.• Teenagers with sporty slogans on the back of their jackets sat attentively amid the rest of the crowd.• I turned back towards the crowd.• He wasn't with his usual crowd last night.• I guess the usual crowd will be at the party.crowd of• Kemp stepped out to face a crowd of cameras.crowdcrowd2 ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]CROWD if people crowd somewhere, they gather together in large numbers, filling a particular placecrowd into Hundreds of people crowded into the church for the funeral.crowd round/around We all crowded round the table.be crowded together the rapid spread of infection in areas where people are crowded together2 [transitive] if people or things crowd a place, there are a lot of them there Holidaymakers crowded the beaches. Range after range of mountains crowd the horizon.3 [transitive]IDEA if thoughts or ideas crowd your mind or memory, they fill it, not allowing you to think of anything else Strange thoughts and worries were crowding his mind.4 [transitive] a) ANNOYto make someone angry by moving too close to them Stop crowding me – there’s plenty of room. b) especially American EnglishUPSET to make someone angry or upset by making too many unfair demands on them → crowd in → crowd somebody/something ↔ out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
crowd• Fans crowded around the rear entrance of the concert hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band.• A large group of people crowded around the screaming child.• Stop crowding me! I need time to make this decision.• Stop crowding me! There's plenty of room.• A jumble of confused thoughts crowded my brain.• An increase in the number of locally-issued debt could push yields higher by crowding out demand for government bonds.• Angry protesters crowded the courthouse steps.• Shoppers crowded the town market.crowd round/around• From their hiding place they heard one burst of profanity from the driver before other voices crowded round.• Everyone crowded round, fawning at him and readily taking up his offer of free drinks.• The clerk, startled, looked round, but could see no obvious assailant in the milling crowd around him.• Few of all the noisy crowd around knew of the change that had taken place.• Drinks in hand, the crowd around me erupted with groans of exasperation, the kind usually reserved for terrible puns.• Small-time investors crowded around public screens to watch the market moves but showed no signs of panic.• We crowded round the table, straining our ears for the magic sounds, while Robert adjusted the cat's whisker.• As the light grows dimmer, the monuments feel even larger, more crowded around us, a city of the dead.Origin crowd2 Old English crudan “to press close” 