collect

[ kuh-lekt ]

/ kəˈlɛkt /

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See synonyms for: collect / collected / collecting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to gather together; assemble: The professor collected the students' exams.

to accumulate; make a collection of: to collect stamps.

to receive or compel payment of: to collect a bill.

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.

to call for and take with one: He drove off to collect his guests.They collected their mail.

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

Archaic. to infer.

verb (used without object)

to gather together; assemble: The students collected in the assembly hall.

to accumulate: Rainwater collected in the barrel.

to receive payment (often followed by on): He collected on the damage to his house.

to gather or bring together books, stamps, coins, etc., usually as a hobby: He's been collecting for years.

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

adjective, adverb

requiring payment by the recipient: a collect telephone call;a telegram sent collect.

OTHER WORDS FOR collect

1 amass, aggregate.

4 compose, calm.

See synonyms for collect on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR collect

1 allot, assign.

2 distribute, scatter.

8 disband, disperse.

See antonyms for collect on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of collect

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; see col-¹

synonym study for collect

1. See gather.

Words nearby collect

collation, collative, collator, colleague, colleagues, collect, collectable, collectanea, collect call, collected, collected edition

Other definitions for collect (2 of 2)

collect²

[ kol-ekt ]

/ ˈkɒl ɛkt /

noun

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

Origin of collect

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”; see origin at collect¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use collect in a sentence

Hooks into the data these agencies already collect, cleans it up, then pipes it into a dashboard to help these transit agencies find ways to improve their routes and ridership.
Here are the 19 companies presenting at Alchemist Accelerator Demo Day XXV today|Greg Kumparak|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
This is truly a unique notebook to write, draw, or collect your thoughts.
Notable notebooks for writing and drawing|PopSci Commerce Team|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
That trend is similar to, though a bit faster than, the one indicated by real-time temperatures collected by Argo floats.
Underwater earthquakes’ sound waves reveal changes in ocean warming|Carolyn Gramling|September 17, 2020|Science News
That water will instead run downhill, collecting sediment, rocks and other debris.
California wildfires may give way to massive mudslides|Ula Chrobak|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science

Because 8kun is difficult to navigate and rife with other disturbing content, many people interested in QAnon instead use aggregators that collect and present the Q drops.
Citigroup puts employee who ran QAnon website on paid leave|kdunn6|September 17, 2020|Fortune
After 50 years, members of the Huna Tlingit people can finally collect harvest sea gull eggs again in Glacier National Park.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the gift card is shopped online in a gray market to collect cold currency.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How a car would be sent to collect him and he would be taken somewhere.
Victim: I Watched British MPs Rape and Murder Young Boys|Nico Hines|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Murder, suicide, illness, old age: These deaths stalk us all, but in prison, they collect us so much more cheaply.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Divide the mixture evenly among the crème brûlée dishes, including any juices that collect.
The Barefoot Contessa Knows How To Make Us Crumble|Ina Garten|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While residing in Brussels these two artists began to collect works of art for what is now known as the Mesdag Museum.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
The cupidity of a man had evidently led him to collect together these odds and ends, and try to turn them to profitable account.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Those who collect taxes without being duly authorized by Government, or misappropriate public funds.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The embryos will collect in the water, and can be easily found with a two-thirds objective.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Usually the time is quite short, enough to enable the parties to collect the evidence relating to the controversy.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for collect (1 of 2)

collect¹

/ (kəˈlɛkt) /

verb

to gather together or be gathered together

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

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

(tr) to regain control of (oneself, one's emotions, etc) as after a shock or surprisehe collected his wits

(tr) to fetch; pick upcollect your own post; he collected the children after school

(intr sometimes foll by on) slang to receive large sums of money, as from an investmenthe really collected when the will was read

(tr) Australian and NZ informal to collide with; be hit by

collect on delivery the US term for cash on delivery

adverb, adjective

US (of telephone calls) on a reverse-charge basis

noun

Australian informal a winning bet

Word Origin for collect

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

British Dictionary definitions for collect (2 of 2)

collect²

/ (ˈkɒlɛkt) /

noun

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

Word Origin for collect

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

collect

OTHER WORDS FOR collect

OPPOSITES FOR collect

Origin of collect

synonym study for collect

Words nearby collect

Other definitions for collect (2 of 2)

Origin of collect

Words related to collect

How to use collect in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for collect (1 of 2)

Word Origin for collect

British Dictionary definitions for collect (2 of 2)

Word Origin for collect