collect

¹

[kuh-lekt]

verb (used with object)

1. to gather together; assemble.

   The professor collected the students' exams.

   Synonyms: aggregate, amass
   Antonyms: disperse, disband, assign, allot

2. to accumulate; make a collection of.

   to collect stamps.

   Antonyms: scatter, distribute

3. to receive or compel payment of.

   to collect a bill.

4. to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like).

   At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.

   Synonyms: calm, compose

5. to call for and take with one: They collected their mail.

   He drove off to collect his guests.

   They collected their mail.

6. Manège.,  to bring (a horse) into a collected attitude.

7. Archaic.,  to infer.

verb (used without object)

1. to gather together; assemble.

   The students collected in the assembly hall.

2. to accumulate.

   Rainwater collected in the barrel.

3. to receive payment (often followed byon ).

   He collected on the damage to his house.

4. to gather or bring together books, stamps, coins, etc., usually as a hobby.

   He's been collecting for years.

5. Manège.,  (of a horse) to come into a collected attitude.

adjective

1. requiring payment by the recipient: a telegram sent collect.

   a collect telephone call;

   a telegram sent collect.

collect

²

[kol-ekt]

noun

1. any of certain brief prayers used in Western churches especially before the epistle in the communion service.

collect

¹

/ kəˈlɛkt /

verb

1. to gather together or be gathered together

2. to accumulate (stamps, books, etc) as a hobby or for study

3. (tr) to call for or receive payment of (taxes, dues, etc)

4. (tr) to regain control of (oneself, one's emotions, etc) as after a shock or surprise

   he collected his wits

5. (tr) to fetch; pick up

   collect your own post

   he collected the children after school

6. slang,  to receive large sums of money, as from an investment

   he really collected when the will was read

7. informal,  (tr) to collide with; be hit by

8. the US term for cash on delivery

adverb

1. (of telephone calls) on a reverse-charge basis

noun

1. informal,  a winning bet

collect

²

/ ˈkɒlɛkt /

noun

1. Christianity a short Church prayer generally preceding the lesson or epistle in Communion and other services

Word History and Origins

Origin of collect¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin collēctus (past participle of colligere “to collect”), equivalent to col- “with, together” + leg- (stem of legere “to gather”) + -tus past participle suffix; col- ¹

Origin of collect²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English collecte, from Old French collecte, colete, and Medieval Latin collecta, short for ōrātiō ad collēctam “prayer at collection”; collect ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of collect¹

C16: from Latin collēctus collected, from colligere to gather together, from com- together + legere to gather

Origin of collect²

C13: from Medieval Latin collecta (from the phrase ōrātiō ad collēctam prayer at the (people's) assembly), from Latin colligere to _collect ¹

Synonym Study

See gather.

Example Sentences

The key to the study was investigating samples of earth plucked by scientists from a ship collecting samples from deep beneath the seafloor.

From Los Angeles Times

The family had been offered support, including assistance from the charity Barnardo's and a place on a minibus that could collect the girl from home on school days.

From BBC

“I didn’t know if that was included in the price, or if that was going to be collected by customs or somebody else.”

From Los Angeles Times

The machine was collected from North Shields in March 2024 and was welcomed with claps and cheers when it reached Coniston later that day.

From BBC

Initially, the disruption seemed relatively minor – with contactless payment systems out of action, and customers unable to use its 'click and collect' service.

From BBC

Related Words

• amass 
• assemble 
• compile 
• gather 
• save