collect

¹ American  

[kuh-lekt] / kəˈlɛkt /

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.

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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 American  

[kol-ekt] / ˈkɒl ɛkt /

noun

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

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collect ¹ British  

/ 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

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adverb

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

noun

1. informal a winning bet

collect ² British  

/ ˈkɒlɛkt /

noun

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

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Related Words

See gather.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Hundreds of thousands of guns will be collected and destroyed, the government predicts.

From BBC

Unions collected enough signatures to place a referendum on next November’s ballot.

From The Wall Street Journal

Surveillance footage collected from homes near Brown University before and after the shooting showed a man between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall with a “distinct walking gait.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Making a wish and tossing a coin into the water is such a strong tradition that authorities collect thousands of euros a week to donate to the Caritas charity.

From Barron's

While the coins tossed into the fountain are donated to charity, the fees collected will go to the city authority to pay for upkeep and managing visitors.

From BBC

Related Words

• amass
• assemble
• compile
• gather
• save