collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər 

: one that collects: such as

a

: an official who collects funds or moneys

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

Lin is asking collectors and vendors to be on the lookout and to let the arcade or police know if the cards are spotted. — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Described as a Porsche collector and philanthropist, the buyer will donate $1 million each to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and the Starlight Children’s Foundation, according to a news release. — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 30 June 2026

Ninety-eight-year-old Klaus Kallmann, the grandson of Felix Kallmann, a lawyer and art collector has for the past nine years, waged a legal battle involving Paris’s Musée d’Orsay. — News Desk, Artforum, 30 June 2026

But such fine evidence of the erroneous human touch in the publishing process is, of course, cherished by collectors of this day. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 June 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