collect

noun

col·lect | \ ˈkä-likt also -ˌlekt

Definition of collect

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a short prayer comprising an invocation, petition, and conclusion specifically, often capitalized : one preceding the eucharistic Epistle and varying with the day

2 : collection

collect

verb

col·lect | \ kə-ˈlekt

collected; collecting; collects

Definition of collect (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to bring together into one body or place

b : to gather or exact from a number of persons or sources collect taxes

c : to gather an accumulation of (objects) especially as a hobby collects stamps

2 : infer, deduce

3 : to gain or regain control of collect his thoughts

4 : to claim as due and receive payment for

5 : to get and bring with one specifically : pick up went to collect her at the train station

intransitive verb

1 : to come together in a band, group, or mass : gather

2a : to collect objects

b : to receive payment collecting on the insurance

collect

adverb or adjective

col·lect | \ kə-ˈlekt

Definition of collect (Entry 3 of 3)

: to be paid for by the receiver

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about collect

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Choose the Right Synonym for collect

Verb

gather, collect, assemble, congregate mean to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit. gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state. a crowd quickly gathered collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement. collected books on gardening assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose. experts assembled for a conference congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle. congregating under a shelter

Examples of collect in a Sentence

Verb

They hope to collect over 1,000 signatures on the petition. He collected stories from all over the world. They collected information about the community. We collected soil samples from several areas on the site. We collected our baggage from the baggage claim at the airport. I left my suit at the cleaners and I have to collect it today. She enjoys collecting antique teapots. He has an impressive stamp collection, though he has been collecting for only a few years. I took a minute to collect my thoughts.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

No matter—to him, that’s what collect calls were for. — Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, "My Brother the Car Horn," 27 Nov. 2018 The standard cost of a call is $0.25 per minute if prepaid or $0.35 per minute for collect calls. — Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County inmates offered a free 5-minute phone call home on Mother's Day," 12 May 2018 Forget the collect-a-thon bloat of series like Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Celeste review: With amazing twists, this 2D game reaches great heights," 25 Jan. 2018 Her phone bill was ridiculous from all my collect calls. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE.com, "Gucci Mane on His Troubled Relationship with Keyshia Ka’oir Before Their Romantic Wedding," 19 Oct. 2017 Last year, an inmate and his mom sued the county, claiming its jailhouse phone rates were still too high at $4 flat for local collect calls and 50 cents per minute for local calls charged on a debit card. — Jordan Graham, Orange County Register, "Orange County ends jail contract amid accusations of overcharging inmates’ families to send money," 15 Mar. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Former editor and jeweler Elizabeth Locke has been collecting micromosaics for years, at first updating them in her own settings to sell, then adding them to her personal collection of more than 100 pieces. — Parker Bowie Larson, ELLE Decor, "These Micromosaic Pendants and Tea Sets Are Incredible," 10 May 2019 Now Garnier is using the 11 million bottles collected thus far to build garden beds, benches, signs, and trash bins for community gardens. — Megan Mcintyre, Hana Hong, Marie Claire, "11 New Innovations in Sustainable Beauty from Around the Globe," 18 Apr. 2019 Listening to and collecting vinyl records is a special hobby of mine that helps me feel even closer to the beats, lyrics, and perspectives of many of my favorite artists. — Tiffany Dodson, SELF, "Playing Vinyl Records Is My Favorite Way to Unplug," 26 Mar. 2019 One of the big lessons Canonical has learned from collecting hardware metrics is that Ubuntu ends up in virtual machines a lot, so improvements are apparently in the works. — Scott Gilbertson, Ars Technica, "A tour of elementary OS, perhaps the Linux world’s best hope for the mainstream," 28 Dec. 2018 Pokémon: Let’s Go is a great way to ease into the monster-collecting series, especially for those who started with Pokémon Go. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "The 40 games we can’t wait to play in 2019," 26 Dec. 2018 Why can’t Facebook just stop collecting your browsing history entirely? — Kurt Wagner, Recode, "Facebook still hasn’t launched a big privacy feature that Mark Zuckerberg promised more than seven months ago," 17 Dec. 2018 Games won’t be able to collect data or track how people play without getting consent, though Apple didn’t elaborate on what getting consent entails. — Rachel Lerman, The Seattle Times, "Apple highlights privacy in new services in jab at rivals," 26 Mar. 2019 After collecting data from 3 million users over the past three years, Sleep Cycle came to the conclusion that February is actually the worst month for quality sleep. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Research Says This is Actually the Worst Month For Your Sleep Cycle," 28 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'collect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for collect

Noun

Middle English collecte, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin collecta (short for oratio ad collectam prayer upon assembly), from Late Latin, assembly, from Latin, assemblage, from feminine of collectus

Verb

Latin collectus, past participle of colligere to collect, from com- + legere to gather — more at legend

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