conglomerate

1.

/kənˈglɒməˌreɪt/

collect or gather

2.

/kənˈɡlɑmərət/

composed of heterogeneous elements gathered into a mass

Other forms: conglomerates; conglomerated; conglomerating

A conglomerate is a group of things, especially companies, put together to form one. If you are rich enough to buy a TV network, a record company, several newspapers, and a radio station, you too can own a media conglomerate.

The root of conglomerate is glomus, a Latin word for “ball.” So think of a conglomerate as a bunch of different things balled together. Before it came to describe giant corporations, a conglomerate was a rock formed from different kinds of minerals. Conglomerate can also be used as a verb — like when your media companies conglomerated successfully.

Definitions of conglomerate (/kənˈglɒməˌreɪt/)

1. verb

   collect or gather
   synonyms: accumulate, amass, cumulate, gather, pile up

   types:

   backlog

   accumulate and create a backlog

   accrete

   make something larger by growing or adding to it

   drift

   be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current

   type of:

   increase

   become bigger or greater in amount