I. ˈkälikt, -(ˌ)lekt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English collecte, from Old French, from Medieval Latin collecta (short for oratio ad collectam prayer upon assembly), from Late Latin, assembly, from Latin, collection, assemblage, from feminine of collectus, past participle of colligere to collect, from com- + -ligere (from legere to gather) — more at legend
1. : a short prayer comprising an invocation, petition, and conclusion ; specifically often capitalized : one preceding the Eucharistic epistle and varying with the day
2.
[Middle English collecte, from Latin collecta ]
archaic : collection , gathering
3.
[probably from collect (II) ]
dialect : a place where water collects : sinkhole
II. kəˈlekt verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English, adjective, collected, from Latin collectus
transitive verb
1.
a. : to bring together into a band, group, assortment, or mass : gather
collect an army
collect all the available chairs
collecting facts about immigration
b. : to receive, gather, or exact from a number of persons or other sources
the Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived — U.S. Constitution
c. : to serve as a point of attraction or focus for (a crowd or accumulation)
a positive genius for collecting impossible people — Ngaio Marsh
2. : infer , deduce , conclude
he collects our destination from the way in which things appear to have gone in the past 150 years — Times Literary Supplement
I collect thou art to be my fatal enemy — John Milton
3. : to regain control of : gather or summon up : overcome distraction of
they were excited and unsteady and … required time to collect themselves — J.A.Froude
collect his thoughts, before setting to work, in a quiet room — Laurence Binyon
4. : to bring together especially in accordance with a principle of selection or an informative or profitable end : come to own as a collection or part of a collection : include as part of one's experience
a volume of 122 ballads … which he had collected in the mountains — American Guide Series: North Carolina
having spent some months in successfully collecting and arranging my materials — Mary W. Shelley
in the matter of collecting books — I mean owning them — J.C.Powys
I tried to collect lakes — O.S.J.Gogarty
5.
a. : to bring (a saddle horse) into a state of collection by use of the aids
b. of a horse : to bring (himself) into a state of collection — compare extend
6.
a. : to claim and receive in payment or fair recompense
unable to collect his wife's retirement benefits
collecting social security payments
b. : to present as due and receive payment for
collect a bill
c. : to call for : pick up : take or bring with one : escort
waited only long enough to collect a letter of introduction — Harvey Graham
collect his girl and bring her in to the cinema — F.T.B.Macartney
7. : to unite (two or more lines of fire hose) to form a more powerful jet of water
intransitive verb
1. : to come together in a band or group : form into or as if into a crowd
crowds of folk used to collect on the beach to see the fun — Norman Douglas
2. : form a layer, heap, or mass : accumulate
dust collects on the furniture
junk will collect in the attic
3.
a. : to collect matter or objects
the botanists were out collecting in full force
b. : to receive payment, remuneration, or other return — often used with on
collecting on his insurance
Synonyms: see gather
III. adverb (or adjective)
: to be paid for by the receiver
send the package collect
a collect telephone call