Collect Definition

kə-lĕkt
collected, collecting, collects
verb
collected, collecting, collects
To gather together; assemble.
Webster's New World
To gather (stamps, books, etc.) as a hobby.
Webster's New World
To accumulate.
Water collects in the basement.
Webster's New World
To call for and receive (money) for (rent, a fund, taxes, bills, etc.)
Webster's New World
To collect payments, contributions, etc.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
With payment to be made by the receiver.
To telephone collect.
Webster's New World
To be paid for by the recipient, as a telephone call or a shipment.
It was to be a collect delivery, but no-one was available to pay.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
noun
collects
A short prayer suitable to the time or occasion, used in certain church services, as before the Epistle at Mass.
Webster's New World
adverb
With payment due from the recipient.
I had to call collect.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Collect

Noun

Singular:
collect
Plural:
collects

Origin of Collect

  • From Middle English collecten, from Old French collecter, from Medieval Latin collectare (“to collect money”), from Latin collecta (“a collection of money, in Late Latin a meeting, assemblage, in Medieval Latin a tax, also an assembly for prayer, a prayer”), feminine of collectus, past participle of colligere, conligere (“to gather together, collect, consider, conclude, infer”), from com- (“together”) + legere (“to gather”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English collecte from Old French from Medieval Latin collēcta short for (ōrātiō ad) collēctam (prayer at the) gathering from Latin collēctus gathered past participle of colligere to gather collect1

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English collecten from Latin colligere collēct- com- com- legere to gather leg- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Latin "oratio ad collectam" (prayer towards the congregation).

    From Wiktionary

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