subcluster

noun

sub·​clus·​ter ˌsəb-ˈklə-stər 

variants or sub-cluster

plural subclusters or sub-clusters

: a cluster that is a subdivision of a larger cluster

… all objects are initially assigned to a single cluster and then are split into smaller subclusters.

—Tony H. Grubesic et al.

A detailed look at the Virgo cluster reveals that its constituent galaxies are not concentrated smoothly toward the center of the cluster. Instead, some of the galaxies are clumped together into subclusters within the main cluster.

—A. J. Meadows

Examples of subcluster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most Jewish samples form a remarkably tight subcluster that overlies Druze and Cypriot samples but not samples from other Levantine populations or paired Diaspora host populations. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2010

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above