conglomerate

[ noun adjective kuhn-glom-er-it, kuhng-; verb kuhn-glom-uh-reyt, kuhng- ]

noun

1. anything composed of heterogeneous materials or elements.
2. a corporation consisting of a number of subsidiary companies or divisions in a variety of unrelated industries, usually as a result of merger or acquisition.
3. Geology. a rock consisting of pebbles or the like embedded in a finer cementing material; consolidated gravel.

adjective

1. gathered into a rounded mass; consisting of parts so gathered; clustered.
2. consisting of heterogeneous parts or elements.
3. of or relating to a corporate conglomerate.
4. Geology. of the nature of a conglomerate.

verb (used with object)

, con·glom·er·at·ed, con·glom·er·at·ing.

1. to bring together into a cohering mass.
2. to gather into a ball or rounded mass.

verb (used without object)

, con·glom·er·at·ed, con·glom·er·at·ing.

1. to collect or cluster together.
2. (of a company) to become part of or merge with a conglomerate.

conglomerate

noun

1. a thing composed of heterogeneous elements; mass
2. any coarse-grained sedimentary rock consisting of rounded fragments of rock embedded in a finer matrix Compare agglomerate
3. a large corporation consisting of a group of companies dealing in widely diversified goods, services, etc

verb

1. to form into a cluster or mass

adjective

1. made up of heterogeneous elements; massed
2. (of sedimentary rocks) consisting of rounded fragments within a finer matrix

conglomerate

/ kən-glŏm′ə-rāt′ /

1. A coarse-grained sedimentary rock consisting of round rock fragments cemented together by hardened silt, clay, calcium carbonate, or a similar material. The fragments (known as clasts) have a diameter of at least 2 mm (0.08 inches), vary in composition and origin, and may include pebbles, cobbles, boulders, or fossilized seashells. Conglomerates often form through the transportation and deposition of sediments by streams, alluvial fans, and glaciers.

conglomerate

1. A corporation with diversified holdings that are acquired through mergers and acquisitions but that are not necessarily related.

Other Words From

• con·glom·er·at·ic [k, uh, n-glom-, uh, -, rat, -ik, k, uh, ng-], con·glom·er·it·ic [k, uh, n-glom-, uh, -, rit, -ik, k, uh, ng-], adjective
• decon·glomer·ate verb deconglomerated deconglomerating
• mini·con·glomer·ate noun
• pseudo·con·glomer·ate adjective
• super·con·glomer·ate noun
• uncon·glomer·ated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conglomerate¹

1565–75; < Latin conglomerātus (past participle of conglomerāre ), equivalent to con- con- + glomer- (stem of glomus ) ball of yarn + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of conglomerate¹

C16: from Latin conglomerāre to roll up, from glomerāre to wind into a ball, from glomus ball of thread

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, bigger players in the ad-supported streaming space, such as the CTV platforms and media conglomerates, are becoming less interoperable, fragmenting the marketplace and frustrating advertisers.

From Digiday

Unlike other tech conglomerates, the Redmond, WA-based software company is known more for its B2B sales than consumer businesses.

From Fortune

So it was companies like American conglomerate Cisco, Finnish telecom giant Nokia, Canada’s Nortel networks that were all enlisted to help work on different parts of the project.

From MIT Technology Review

Eager to cash in, Western companies including American conglomerate Cisco, Finnish telecom giant Nokia, and Canada’s Nortel Networks worked with the agency on different parts of the project.

From MIT Technology Review

Physicists think they have detected the first conglomerate of four quarks incorporating more than two of the same kind.

From Science News

Resolution is majority owned and controlled by Rio Tinto, a global mining conglomerate.

From The Daily Beast

And that conglomerate also owns nearly 70 percent of the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia.

From The Daily Beast

The liquor conglomerate also produces the single malts Talisker and Oban.

From The Daily Beast

A major backer for one Britton Holdings investment is a Chinese conglomerate active in the energy sector.

From The Daily Beast

The 83-year-old media conglomerate owner has a long history of realizing his business ambitions.

From The Daily Beast

Conglomerate, containing angular fragments of yellowish-grey quartz-rock, in a base of compact epidote.

From Project Gutenberg

The most ancient and lowest stratum of this igneous formation is a compact conglomerate known as tufa lithoide.

From Project Gutenberg

The streets are, however, somewhat narrow and paved with stone, or rather with a conglomerate of shells.

From Project Gutenberg

Wild ranges adjoined that conglomerate country, which, as you have probably gathered, is extremely difficult to traverse.

From Project Gutenberg

They consist of sandstone and conglomerate, and the strata dip 10 to the south, and to the eye appear horizontal.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cartel
• chain
• group
• syndicate