gather around

gather (a)round (someone or something)

1. To convene or assemble around a particular person or thing. All of the kids eagerly gathered around Santa Claus. Come on, fellas, gather round the campfire!
2. To cause people to convene or assemble around oneself or a particular person or thing. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "gather" and "(a)round." Santa Claus gathered all of the children around himself to hand out gifts. Please gather everyone around the campfire.
See also: gather
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gather someone or something around (oneself)

to collect people or things around oneself; to draw someone or something to oneself. He gathered a lot of arty people around himself. She liked to gather exotic plants around herself. Grandpa gathered all the kids around and read them a story.
See also: around, gather

gather around someone or something

to collect around someone or something. Let's all gather around her and hear her out. Please gather around the table for dinner.
See also: around, gather
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

gather around

or gather round
v.
1. To come to some place and form a group; assemble at: The cowboys gathered round the campfire.
2. To cause some people or things to come to a place; bring some people or things together around a place: We gathered the tour group around the exhibit and began our talk.
See also: around, gather
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • gather (a)round (someone or something)
  • gathering
  • get (someone) around the table
  • get around the table
  • build around
  • build around (someone or something)
  • crowd around
  • crowd around (someone or something)
  • collect around
  • collect around (someone or something)
References in classic literature
It was chill and dark, and all, except him, were glad to gather around the fire.
The Golden Road
The sons of the ocean gather around. Silent and sad they rise on the wave.
English Literature For Boys And Girls
So Dorothy sat on the hearth-shelf of the big range, and the subjects of Utensia began to gather around in a large and inquisitive throng.
The Emerald City of Oz
The Noah's arks are packed one within another, with clockwork horses harnessed to them; the soldiers, knapsack on back, are kissing their hands to the dear foolish girls, who, however, will not be left behind them; all the four-footed things gather around the elephant, who is overful of drawing-room furniture; the birds flutter their wings; the man with the scythe mows his way through the crowd; the balloons tug at their strings; the ships rock under a swell of sail, everything is getting ready for the mighty exodus into the Strand.
The Little White Bird
Zeb shook the reins to rouse the cab-horse from his stupor of amazement, for the people were beginning to gather around and stare at the strangers.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The young actress added that she couldn't do anything but scream, which got people to gather around them in an attempt to break up the fight, as she was almost beaten.
'We Are Not in Europe'! Menna Arafa Was Scolded by Her Sister for Standing up to a Harasser
The Mitchells gather around Phil's bedside, but the police are also taking a keen interest in the attack as evidence mounts up
Mitchells in the frame; As Phil's nearest and dearest gather round, the police start to close in
Many gather around the Pyramids and the Sphinx lighted with many colors to celebrate the New Year's Eve-Ahmed Maarouf/Egypt Today CAIRO -- 1 January 2019: Many gathered around the Pyramids and the Sphinx, which were lighted with many colors to celebrate the New Year's Eve.
In pics: Pyramids, Sphinx lighted with colors on New Year's Eve
"We're not a people who gather around the archbishop, or who gather around a priest--we gather around Christ, and we gather around Christ's gospel," she said.
Germond made metropolitan of Ontario
A conference titled "2018 IEEE PES ISGT Europe", dedicated to the energy sector this week in Sarajevo will gather around 300 participants from around the world.
Conference on innovative solutions in energy sector taking place in Sarajevo
Rainy clouds will gather around noon brining brief showers with thunder.
Mostly Sunny in Bulgaria Today, Maximums between 26A[degrees]C and 31A[degrees]C
However, when former interior minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan came in the national assembly, a number of women member belonging to Nawaz league gather around and talked.
NA session adjourned due to lack of quorum
People gather around a fire during morning in Dhaka yesterday.
Bonfire
Reviving the trend for the fourth year in a row, Riyadh International Catering Corporation (RICC) has set up tents inside a number of shopping malls in Riyadh, Eastern Province and the Northern Region, where children gather around a Hakawati to enjoy listening to Arabic folk tales.
Traditional storyteller is back
The 50-year-old woman banged on the bonnet of the vehicle in anger, which prompted passers-by to gather around in front of the police station.
Man arrested after driving into woman