collect

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Contents

English [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

  • (verb, adjective, adverb): IPA: /kəˈlɛkt/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt
  • (noun):
    (GenAm) IPA: /ˈkɑlɪkt/, /ˈkɑlɛkt/
    (RP) IPA: /ˈkɒlɪkt/

Etymology 1 [edit]

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).

Verb [edit]

collect (third-person singular simple present collects, present participle collecting, simple past and past participle collected)

  1. (transitive) To gather together; amass.
    Suzanne collected all the papers she had laid out.
  2. (transitive) To get; particularly, get from someone.
    A bank collects a monthly payment on a client's new car loan.
    A mortgage company collects a monthly payment on a house.
  3. (transitive) To accumulate a number of similar or related (objects), particularly for a hobby or recreation.
    John Henry collects stamps.
  4. (transitive, now rare) To form a conclusion; to deduce, infer. (Compare gather, get.)
    • 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial 2007, p. 292-3:
      the riot is so great that it is very difficult to collect what is being said.
  5. (intransitive, often with on or against) To collect payments.
    He had a lot of trouble collecting on that bet he made.
  6. (intransitive) To come together in a group or mass.
    The rain collected in puddles.
  7. (intransitive) To collect objects as a hobby.
    I don't think he collects as much as hoards.
Translations [edit]

Adjective [edit]

collect (not comparable)

  1. 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.

Adverb [edit]

collect (not comparable)

  1. With payment due from the recipient.
    I had to call collect.

Derived terms [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

French collecte

Noun [edit]

collect (plural collects) (sometimes capitalized)

  1. (Christianity) The prayer said before the reading of the epistle lesson, especially one found in a prayerbook, as with the Book of Common Prayer.
    He used the day's collect as the basis of his sermon.
Translations [edit]

External links [edit]