collector

noun

col·lec·tor kə-ˈlek-tər

Synonyms of collector next

: one that collects: such as

: an official who collects funds or moneys

: a person who makes a collection

stamp collector

: an object or device that collects

the statuette was a dust collector

: 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 Google Reviews and the Better Business Bureau are two of the most active collectors of business organization ratings (BBB). —

Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Courtesy of Studio Ghibli Studio Ghibli is home to some of the greatest animators in the world, but outside Japan, its catalog has tended to be either difficult to find or the purview of pricey collector's edition discs. —

Matt Kamen, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023 The Wildenstein Way: A widow’s legal fight against a wealthy family of art collectors has threatened their storied collection — and revealed the underbelly of the global art market. —

Ellen Barry Hilary Swift, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023 Over the years, Andy and Bax attracted a diverse clientele that included backpackers, whitewater rafters, survivalists and military collectors. —

oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023 The quality is very good and there is certainly something for all the art collectors. —

Linda Gandee, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2023 In 1839, farmers began to organize, holding protests and resisting tax collectors. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023 Epstein was an avid collector of contacts, the higher placed the better. —

Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023 These women could sell just about any collector on a contemporary piece while walking backwards in heels. —

Lane Florsheim, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collector.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of collector was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century