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prettygoodwordcongeries (kon-JEER-eez, KON-juh-reez) - n., an aggregation or collection of items as a single mass.
Note that despite its appearance, this is a singular mass noun. It does have a plural, for talking about a group of groups, which is spelled identically. (It also has a false singular form, congery, but this is frowned upon.) "A congeries of bubbles floated through the air" sounds odd but is correct. Borrowed in the 1610s from Latin congeriēs, heap, mass, pile, from congerere, to carry together (from con- + gerere, to bear, carry) + -iēs, a nominalizing suffix -- whence the confusing English form.
---L.
Note that despite its appearance, this is a singular mass noun. It does have a plural, for talking about a group of groups, which is spelled identically. (It also has a false singular form, congery, but this is frowned upon.) "A congeries of bubbles floated through the air" sounds odd but is correct. Borrowed in the 1610s from Latin congeriēs, heap, mass, pile, from congerere, to carry together (from con- + gerere, to bear, carry) + -iēs, a nominalizing suffix -- whence the confusing English form.
---L.
