To gather breath

Gather \Gath"er\ (g[a^][th]"[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   {Gathered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Gathering}.] [OE. gaderen, AS.
   gaderian, gadrian, fr. gador, geador, together, fr. g[ae]d
   fellowship; akin to E. good, D. gaderen to collect, G. gatte
   husband, MHG. gate, also companion, Goth. gadiliggs a
   sister's son. [root]29. See {Good}, and cf. {Together}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To bring together; to collect, as a number of separate
      things, into one place, or into one aggregate body; to
      assemble; to muster; to congregate.
      [1913 Webster]

            And Belgium's capital had gathered them
            Her beauty and her chivalry.          --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]

            When he had gathered all the chief priests and
            scribes of the people together.       --Matt. ii. 4.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To pick out and bring together from among what is of less
      value; to collect, as a harvest; to harvest; to cull; to
      pick off; to pluck.
      [1913 Webster]

            A rose just gathered from the stalk.  --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

            Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
                                                  --Matt. vii.
                                                  16.
      [1913 Webster]

            Gather us from among the heathen.     --Ps. cvi. 47.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To accumulate by collecting and saving little by little;
      to amass; to gain; to heap up.
      [1913 Webster]

            He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his
            substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity
            the poor.                             --Prov.
                                                  xxviii. 8.
      [1913 Webster]

            To pay the creditor . . . he must gather up money by
            degrees.                              --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To bring closely together the parts or particles of; to
      contract; to compress; to bring together in folds or
      plaits, as a garment; also, to draw together, as a piece
      of cloth by a thread; to pucker; to plait; as, to gather a
      ruffle.
      [1913 Webster]

            Gathering his flowing robe, he seemed to stand
            In act to speak, and graceful stretched his hand.
                                                  --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To derive, or deduce, as an inference; to collect, as a
      conclusion, from circumstances that suggest, or arguments
      that prove; to infer; to conclude.
      [1913 Webster]

            Let me say no more!
            Gather the sequel by that went before. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. To gain; to win. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            He gathers ground upon her in the chase. --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. (Arch.) To bring together, or nearer together, in masonry,
      as where the width of a fireplace is rapidly diminished to
      the width of the flue, or the like.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. (Naut.) To haul in; to take up; as, to gather the slack of
      a rope.
      [1913 Webster]

   {To be gathered to one's people} or {To be gathered to one's
   fathers} to die. --Gen. xxv. 8.

   {To gather breath}, to recover normal breathing after being
      out of breath; to get one's breath; to rest. --Spenser.

   {To gather one's self together}, to collect and dispose one's
      powers for a great effort, as a beast crouches preparatory
      to a leap.

   {To gather way} (Naut.), to begin to move; to move with
      increasing speed.
      [1913 Webster]