collect1

 
Pronunciation: /kəˈlɛkt/

verb

[with object]
  • 1bring or gather together (a number of things): he went round the office collecting old coffee cups
  • [no object] come together and form a group: a small crowd collected at the back door
  • systematically seek and acquire (items of a particular kind) as a hobby: I’ve started collecting stamps
  • accumulate over a period of time: collect rainwater to use on the garden
  • 2call for and take away; fetch: the children were collected from school
  • call for and obtain (payments) from a number of people: he collected their rent each week
  • go somewhere and receive (something) as a right or award: she came to Oxford to collect her honorary degree
  • ask for and receive (charitable donations): they were collecting money for the war effort
  • 3 (collect oneself) regain control of oneself, typically after a shock: he paused for a moment to take a breath, to collect himself
  • concentrate (one’s thoughts): she returned to her room to collect her thoughts
  • 4 archaic conclude; infer: [with clause]: by all best conjectures, I collect Thou art to be my fatal enemy
  • 5cause (a horse) to bring its hind legs further forward as it moves: a rider should want to be able to collect a horse when hacking
  • 6Australian/NZ informal collide with: he lost control of the truck and collected two cats

adverb & adjective

North American
  • (with reference to a telephone call) to be paid for by the person receiving it: [as adverb]: I called my mother collect

noun

Australian/NZ informal
  • a winning bet.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French collecter or medieval Latin collectare, from Latin collect- 'gathered together', from the verb colligere, from col- 'together' + legere 'choose or collect'