26984 words

collect

19 definitions • 27 examples
1
to get and keep things of one type such as stamps or coins as a hobby:

Examples:

So when did you start collecting antique glass?
2
to go to a place and bring someone or something away from it:

Examples:

Your shoes will be repaired and ready for you to collect on Thursday.
collect someone/something from somewhere I'll collect you from the station.
3
to bring something together from different places or over a period of time:

Examples:

collect something up After the party I collected (up) bottles from various parts of the house.
collect dust These china ornaments just collect dust.
4
to ask people to give you money for something, for example a charity:

Examples:

We're collecting (money) for the homeless.
5
to take money such as taxes, rents, etc.:

Examples:

The state collected about $1.2 million in taxes in January.
6
to come together from different places or over a period of time:

Examples:

A large crowd of reporters collected outside the prime minister's house.
Rainwater collects in the barrel in the garden.
7
to get control of your feelings and thoughts, especially after shock, surprise, or laughter:

Examples:

I was so stunned by what he'd said I had to collect myself before I could reply.
8
a short prayer that is said during some Christian religious ceremonies
9
When you call collect or make a collect phone call, the person you call pays for the call:

Examples:

collect call I'd like to make a collect call.
She called me collect.
10
to come or bring together from a variety of places or over a period of time:

Examples:

[ I ] A crowd of people soon collected at the scene of the accident.
[ T ] Information about employment is collected from every state.
11
People sometimes collect one particular type of object as a hobby:

Examples:

[ T ] I’ve got three kids who collect football cards.
12
to receive money that you are owed or have earned:

Examples:

[ T ] You can begin to collect benefits under Social Security at age 62.
13
(of a telephone call or the act of calling) done in a way that will be paid by the person receiving it:

Examples:

a collect call
You can call me collect.
14
to buy and keep a particular type of thing as a hobby or an investment:

Examples:

15
to bring information together from different places:
16
to ask for and get money that is owed:

Examples:

collect debts/fees/payments/taxes Collecting taxes on services is tricky, and e-commerce can only make it harder.
collect revenue/rent Why not buy a property and collect the rent yourself?
17
to receive a payment that you have a right to have:

Examples:

collect insurance/a pension/social security Employees with more than 20 years service can collect a full pension.
collect on insurance/an investment When he died, she collected on his life insurance.
18
to arrange for the amount written on a cheque to be paid out of a bank account:

Examples:

When a bank clerk indorses a check, the bank collecting the check guarantees that the indorsement is genuine.
19
if someone phones collect or makes a collect phone call, the person they phone pays for the call:

Examples:

Computer-based phone dialing equipment makes it possible to place a collect call without using an operator.

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