swarm

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A large number of insects or other small organisms, especially when in motion.
2. n. A group of bees with a queen bee in migration to establish a new colony. See Synonyms at flock¹.
3. n. An aggregation of persons or animals, especially when in turmoil or moving in mass: A swarm of friends congratulated him.
4. n. A number of similar geologic phenomena or features occurring closely within a given period or place: a swarm of earthquakes.
5. v. To move or emerge in a swarm.
6. v. To leave a hive as a swarm. Used of bees.
7. v. To move or gather in large numbers.
8. v. To be overrun; teem: a riverbank swarming with insects. See Synonyms at teem¹.
9. v. To fill with a crowd: sailors swarming the ship's deck.
10. v. To climb by gripping with the arms and legs.
11. v. To climb (something) in this manner.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A large number or body of insects or other small creatures, particularly when moving in a confused mass.
2. n. Especially, a cluster or great number of honey-bees which emigrate from a hive at once, and seek new lodgings under the direction of a queen; also, a like body of bees settled permanently in a hive.
3. n. In general, a great number or multitude; particularly, a multitude of people in motion: often used of inanimate objects: as, a swarm of meteors.
4. n. Synonyms Crowd, throng, cluster.
5. To move in a swarm or in large numbers, as insects and other small creatures; specifically, to collect and depart from a hive by flight in a body, as bees.
6. To appear or come together in a crowd or confused multitude; congregate or throng in multitudes; crowd together with confused movements.
7. To be crowded; be overrun; be thronged with a multitude; abound; be filled with a number or crowd of objects.
8. To breed multitudes.
9. To crowd or throng.
10. To cause to breed in swarms.
11. To climb a tree, pole, or the like by embracing it with the arms and legs; shin: often with up.
12. To climb, as a tree, by embracing it with the arms and legs, and scrambling up.

Wiktionary

1. n. A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
2. n. A mass of people or animals in turmoil.
3. v. intransitive To move as a swarm.
4. v. intransitive To teem, or be overrun with insects.
5. v. transitive To fill a place as a swarm.
6. v. transitive To overwhelm as by an opposing army.
7. v. To climb by gripping with arms and legs.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. colloq. To climb a tree, pole, or the like, by embracing it with the arms and legs alternately. See shin.
2. n. A large number or mass of small animals or insects, especially when in motion.
3. n. Especially, a great number of honeybees which emigrate from a hive at once, and seek new lodgings under the direction of a queen; a like body of bees settled permanently in a hive.
4. n. Hence, any great number or multitude, as of people in motion, or sometimes of inanimate objects.
5. v. To collect, and depart from a hive by flight in a body; -- said of bees.
6. v. To appear or collect in a crowd; to throng together; to congregate in a multitude.
7. v. To be crowded; to be thronged with a multitude of beings in motion.
8. v. To abound; to be filled (with).
9. v. To breed multitudes.
10. v. To crowd or throng.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. move in large numbers
2. n. a group of many things in the air or on the ground
3. v. be teeming, be abuzz
4. n. a moving crowd