I. col ‧ lect 1 S1 W2 /kəˈlekt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ collection , ↑ collector , ↑ collective , ↑ collectable , collectible, ↑ collectivism , ↑ collectivization ; adjective : ↑ collected , ↑ collective , ↑ collectable , collectible, ↑ collectivist ; verb : ↑ collect , ↑ collectivize ; adverb : ↑ collectively ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of colligere , from com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + legere 'to gather' ]
1 . BRING TOGETHER [transitive] to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together ⇨ collection , collector :
After 25 years of collecting recipes, she has compiled them into a cookbook.
The company collects information about consumer trends.
We’ve been out collecting signatures for our petition.
2 . KEEP OBJECTS [transitive] to get and keep objects of the same type, because you think they are attractive or interesting ⇨ collection , collector :
Arlene collects teddy bears.
3 . RENT/DEBTS/TAXES [transitive] to get money that you are owed ⇨ collector
collect tax/rent/a debt
The landlady came around once a month to collect the rent.
4 . MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE [intransitive and transitive] to ask people to give you money or goods for an organization that helps people
collect for
I’m collecting for Children in Need.
5 . INCREASE IN AMOUNT [intransitive and transitive] if something collects in a place, or you collect it there, it gradually increases in amount:
Rain collected in pools on the road.
solar panels for collecting energy from the sun
I didn’t know what to do with it, so it just sat there collecting dust.
6 . WIN SOMETHING [transitive] to receive something because you have won a race, game etc:
Redgrave collected his fifth Olympic gold medal in Sydney.
7 . collect yourself/collect your thoughts to make an effort to remain calm and think clearly and carefully about something:
I got there early so I had a few minutes to collect my thoughts before the meeting began.
8 . TAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING FROM A PLACE [transitive] especially British English to come to a particular place in order to take someone or something away SYN pick up American English :
Martin’s gone to collect the children from school.
I’ve got to go and collect the book I ordered from the library.
9 . CROWD [intransitive] formal to come together gradually to form a group of people SYN gather :
A crowd was beginning to collect around the scene of the accident.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ collect to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together:
She collects stamps (=as a hobby) .
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They have collected 650 signatures for their petition.
▪ gather to collect information from different places, or to collect crops, flowers, wood etc, especially from the ground:
Computers make it easier to gather information.
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The men gathered firewood.
▪ assemble formal to collect something such as information in an organized way:
When all the evidence is assembled, we will write our report.
▪ build up to gradually collect more things of the same type over time:
He has built up one of the country’s finest collections of art.
▪ accumulate to gradually get more and more of something such as money, possessions, or knowledge, over time. Accumulate is more formal than build up :
He is driven by the desire to accumulate wealth.
▪ amass to collect a large amount of something such as money, information, or knowledge, over time:
Carnegie amassed a fortune in the steel industry.
▪ run up a bill/debt/loss informal to allow a debt to increase quickly, especially by spending too much:
He ran up huge gambling debts.
collect something ↔ up phrasal verb British English
to pick up several things, and put them together SYN gather up :
Can you collect up all the dirty plates and cups?
II. collect 2 BrE AmE adverb American English
call/phone somebody collect if you telephone someone collect, the person who receives the call pays for it ⇨ collect call SYN reverse the charges British English
III. col ‧ lect 3 /ˈkɒlɪkt, -lekt $ ˈkɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: collecte , from Medieval Latin collecta '(prayer for) a gathering' , from Latin colligere ; ⇨ ↑ collect 1 ]
a short prayer in some Christian services