collect call

American  

noun

1. a long-distance telephone call that is to be paid for by the person or station receiving it.

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Etymology

Origin of collect call

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“Here it is like 10 o’clock at night, who’s answering the phone? A collect call at that?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2020

At the beginning of “The Rain People,” Natalie makes a collect call to her husband from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, saying she has to get away.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2017

In particular, he said a collect call McCullough made from the Rockford post office on the night when Maria disappeared showed that it would have been impossible for McCullough to have abducted the girl.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2016

But when he made the collect call to his mother, she was having none of it.

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2014

I picked up the phone and there was the recorded voice again, saying it was a collect call from Marcus Johnson.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Related Words

• local call
• long-distance call
• phone call
• telephone conversation