collector

American  

[kuh-lek-ter] / kəˈlɛk tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that collects.

2. a person employed to collect debts, duties, taxes, etc.

3. a person who collects books, paintings, stamps, shells, etc., especially as a hobby.

4. Electricity. a device for accumulating current from contact conductors.

5. Electronics. an electrode in a transistor or vacuum tube for collecting electrons, ions, or holes.

6. Metallurgy. promoter.

7. Energy. solar collector.

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collector British  

/ kəˈlɛktə /

noun

1. a person or thing that collects

2. a person employed to collect debts, rents, etc

3. the head of a district administration in India

4. a person who collects or amasses objects as a hobby

5. electronics the region in a transistor into which charge carriers flow from the base

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Other Word Forms

• collectorate noun
• collectorship noun
• precollector noun
• subcollector noun
• subcollectorship noun
• undercollector noun

Etymology

Origin of collector

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin, equivalent to Latin colleg- (variant stem of colligere; collect ¹ ) + -tor -tor

Explanation

A collector is a person who accumulates special objects, like stamps or coins. If you're crazy about unicorns, you may also be a collector of unicorn figurines, stickers, and paintings. Collector is from a Latin word meaning "to gather." The 14th-century word was originally used for tax collectors, who gathered money from citizens. By the late 1700s, people who amassed collections of things were also called collectors. It's common for kids to be collectors of trading cards, stuffed animals, rocks, and shells. There are also plenty of adult collectors, who acquire antiques, art, books, and more. If you can think of an interesting object, it's probably got collectors!

Example Sentences

In July 1846, two months after the U.S. invaded Mexico, the tax collector came calling for six years’ back taxes.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Zyw said Summer Fields then caught the eye of a collector and the charity was "over the moon" with the sale.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

It was discovered by avocational fossil collector Lloyd Gunther and donated to the Kansas University Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum in 1981.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s not that I don’t owe the money — I do — but something about a parent suddenly acting like a $1,000 debt collector feels weird and annoying, especially since he’s not in financial need.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

By the time the trash collector came the next day, it was gone.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• connoisseur
• hobbyist