collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər 

: one that collects: such as

a

: an official who collects funds or monies

b

: a person who makes a collection

stamp collector

c

: an object or device that collects

the statuette was a dust collector

d

: solar collector

collectorship

kə-ˈlek-tər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of collector in a Sentence

He is an avid stamp collector.

The painting was purchased by a private collector.

The trash collectors came early today.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oxley Grading's spokesperson said there may be room for lower-cost services aimed at collectors who care more about a card’s artwork, sentimental value or preservation than maximizing its resale value. — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026

Barbara Jakobson was a monumental force in the New York art world for over 60 years, serving as an influential collector, a fierce patron, and a longtime trustee of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). — Demetrius Simms For Robb Report, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Surveillance video recovered by the Daily News shows a scrap collector finding the black cloth case used to hold a musical instrument that contained Owusu’s body. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026

Its miniature replica captures the grandeur of the iconic flagship, offering collectors a piece of Manhattan holiday history without the Manhattan real estate prices. — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English collectour, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin collēctōr-, collēctor, from colleg-, variant stem of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate" + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at collect entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing collector

• collector's item
• solar collector

Rhymes for collector

• bisector
• connector
• corrector
• defector
• deflector
• detector
• director
• dissector
• effector
• ejector
• elector
• erector

Kids Definition

collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər 

1

: a person whose job is to collect money due

tax collector

bill collector

2

: one that makes a collection

stamp collector

3

: an object or device that collects

the ornament was just a dust collector