Conglomerate, n.
1. That which is heaped together in a mass or conpacted from various sources; a mass formed of fragments; collection; accumulation. A conglomerate of marvelous anecdotes, marvelously heaped together. Trench.
2. (Geol.)
A rock, composed or rounded fragments of stone cemented together by another mineral substance, either calcareous, siliceous, or argillaceous; pudding stone; -- opposed to agglomerate. See Breccia. A conglomerate, therefore, is simply gravel bound together by a cement. Lyell.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Conglomerate, a.
1. Gathered into a ball or a mass; collected together; concentrated; as, conglomerate rays of light. Beams of light when they are multiplied and conglomerate. Bacon. Fluids are separated in the liver and the other conglobate and conglomerate glands. Cheyne.
2. (Bot.)
Closely crowded together; densly clustered; as, conglomerate flowers. Gray.
3. (Geol.)
Composed of stones, pebbles, or fragments of rocks, cemented together.
Conglomerate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Conglomerated; p.pr. & vb.n. Conglomerating.]
To gather into a ball or round body; to collect into a mass.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for conglomerate; he lists it under complex, heterogeneous.
Where he writes about it:
Conglomerate (literally, globed together) is said of a confused mingling of masses or lumps of various substances. — from complex
The New England pudding-stone is a conglomerate rock. — from complex