Collect Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Published on July 15, 2025
Collect means to gather things together from different sources or locations, often into a single place or group. e.g., She likes to collect stamps from various countries.
Table of Contents
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Collect Definitions
To bring together or assemble from various places or sources.
He collects vintage cars from the 1950s.
To gather or compile information or data.
Researchers collect data through surveys and experiments.
To pick up someone or something from a location.
I'll collect the kids from school today.
To receive or be given something.
She went to collect her award at the ceremony.
To recover or retrieve something that was previously dispersed.
After the meeting, she collected her notes and laptop.
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To bring together in a group or mass; gather
The teacher collected the exams.
To accumulate as a hobby or for study
Collect old coins.
Collect folk tales.
To call for and obtain payment of
Collect taxes.
To be the site for (an accumulating mass), especially as a consequence of disuse or neglect
My guitar is collecting dust in the corner.
To recover control of
Collect one's emotions.
To call for (someone); pick up
Collected the children and drove home.
To come together in a group or mass; gather
Sand collected in the crevices.
To take in payments or donations
Collecting for charity.
With payment to be made by the receiver
Called collect.
A collect phone call.
A brief formal prayer that is used in various Western liturgies before the epistle and that varies with the day.
(transitive) To gather together; amass.
Suzanne collected all the papers she had laid out.
(transitive) To get; particularly, get from someone.
A bank collects a monthly payment on a client's new car loan.
A mortgage company collects a monthly payment on a house.
(transitive) To accumulate (a number of similar or related objects), particularly for a hobby or recreation.
John Henry collects stamps.
I don't think he collects as much as hoards.
My friend from school has started to collects mangas and novels recently
To form a conclusion; to deduce, infer. (Compare gather, get.)
To collect payments.
He had a lot of trouble collecting on that bet he made.
(intransitive) To come together in a group or mass.
The rain collected in puddles.
(transitive) To infer; to conclude.
To collide with or crash into (another vehicle or obstacle).
The truck veered across the central reservation and collected a car that was travelling in the opposite direction.
To be paid for by the recipient, as a telephone call or a shipment.
It was to be a collect delivery, but no-one was available to pay.
With payment due from the recipient.
I had to call collect.
(Christianity) The prayer said before the reading of the epistle lesson, especially one found in a prayerbook, as with the Book of Common Prayer.
He used the day's collect as the basis of his sermon.
To gather into one body or place; to assemble or bring together; to obtain by gathering.
A band of menCollected choicely from each country.
'Tis memory alone that enriches the mind, by preserving what our labor and industry daily collect.
To demand and obtain payment of, as an account, or other indebtedness; as, to collect taxes.
To infer from observed facts; to conclude from premises.
Which sequence, I conceive, is very ill collected.
To assemble together; as, the people collected in a crowd; to accumulate; as, snow collects in banks.
To infer; to conclude.
Whence some collect that the former word imports a plurality of persons.
A short, comprehensive prayer, adapted to a particular day, occasion, or condition, and forming part of a liturgy.
The noble poem on the massacres of Piedmont is strictly a collect in verse.
A short prayer generally preceding the lesson in the Church of Rome or the Church of England
Get or gather together;
I am accumulating evidence for the man's unfaithfulness to his wife
She is amassing a lot of data for her thesis
She rolled up a small fortune
Call for and obtain payment of;
We collected over a million dollars in outstanding debts
He collected the rent
Assemble or get together;
Gather some stones
Pull your thoughts together
Get or bring together;
Accumulate evidence
Gather or collect;
You can get the results on Monday
She picked up the children at the day care center
They pick up our trash twice a week
Payment due by the recipient on delivery;
A collect call
The letter came collect
A COD parcel
Make a telephone call or mail a package so that the recipient pays;
Call collect
Send a package collect
To accumulate as a hobby or for a specific purpose.
They collect coins from every country they visit.
To receive or ask for money owed or due.
The landlord comes to collect the rent at the end of each month.
To regain control of oneself, typically after a shock or surprise.
He took a moment to collect himself before responding to the news.
To come together and form a whole; to accumulate.
Rainwater collects in the barrel outside during the storm.
To harvest or gather agricultural products.
They went to collect apples from the orchard.
Collect Snonyms
Gather
To bring together or assemble.
We gather leaves in the autumn for compost.
Accumulate
To increase in quantity or number over time.
He accumulated a significant amount of wealth over his career.
Corral
To gather and confine.
He corralled the puppies into the backyard.
Harvest
To collect crops from the fields.
Farmers harvest corn in the early fall.
Amass
To collect large amounts of something, usually for a particular purpose.
She amassed a huge collection of rare books.
Assemble
To bring together components or elements to form a whole.
Volunteers assemble care packages for disaster relief.
Compile
To put together various materials or data.
The team compiled a report from the survey results.
Aggregate
To combine into a whole or mass.
The study aggregated data from different studies.
Pick up
To lift and take with oneself; to collect.
Please pick up some groceries on your way home.
Retrieve
To get back; recover.
She retrieved her lost hat from the lost and found.
Collect Idioms & Phrases
Collect oneself
To regain composure.
She needed to collect herself after the startling news.
Go to collect
To go specifically to pick something up.
He went to collect his new suit from the tailor.
Collect a debt
To obtain payment of a debt.
He had difficulty collecting the debt owed to him.
Collect dust
To remain unused for a long period.
His old guitar has been collecting dust in the attic.
Collect signatures
To gather signatures for a petition or similar purpose.
We need to collect more signatures to get the initiative on the ballot.
Collect on a promise
To hold someone accountable for a promise made.
It's time to collect on that promise you made last year.
Collect one's wits
To calm oneself and think clearly.
After the accident, it took him a few minutes to collect his wits.
Collect a sample
To gather a portion or specimen for analysis.
The scientists went to collect a sample of the polluted water.
Collect one's thoughts
To take a moment to think and organize one’s ideas.
Let me just collect my thoughts before I begin the presentation.
Collect interest
To receive interest on a financial investment.
Her savings account collects interest every month.
Collect Example Sentences
On weekends, they like to collect shells at the beach.
He took a moment to collect his thoughts before the interview.
She went to collect her children from school.
The organization helps to collect funds for disaster relief.
The farmers collect eggs from the chicken coop every morning.
They set out to collect signatures for their community project.
Her hobby is to collect vintage stamps and postcards.
It’s important to collect all relevant data before making a decision.
She helps to collect clothing donations for the homeless shelter.
They need to collect more evidence to support the case.
He went back to collect the book he had forgotten.
Common Curiosities
How is "collect" used in a sentence?
"Collect" is used to describe the action of gathering or accumulating things or information, e.g., They went to collect firewood for the campfire.
How do we divide "collect" into syllables?
"Collect" is divided into syllables as col-lect.
What is a stressed syllable in "collect"?
The stressed syllable in "collect" is the second syllable, -lect.
How many syllables are in "collect"?
"Collect" has two syllables.
Why is it called "collect"?
The word "collect" comes from the Latin "collectus," past participle of "colligere" which means 'to gather together'. This was derived from "com-" (together) and "legere" (to gather, select).
What is the pronunciation of "collect"?
"Collect" is pronounced as /kəˈlekt/.
What is the verb form of "collect"?
"Collect" itself is a verb.
What is the first form of "collect"?
The first form of "collect" is "collect."
What is the root word of "collect"?
The root word of "collect" is the Latin word "colligere."
What is another term for "collect"?
Another term for "collect" is "gather."
What is the third form of "collect"?
The third form of "collect" is also "collected."
What is the second form of "collect"?
The second form of "collect" is "collected."
What is the plural form of "collect"?
As a verb, "collect" does not have a plural form.
Is "collect" a noun or adjective?
"Collect" is primarily a verb, but it can also function as a noun in contexts like a prayer or collection in church services.
Is "collect" a collective noun?
No, "collect" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the word "collect" imperative?
"Collect" can be used in the imperative form, e.g., "Collect your belongings before you leave."
Is the word “collect” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Collect" is a verb and can take both direct and indirect objects, e.g., "He collects stamps" (direct object), "He collects donations for the church" (indirect object).
Is "collect" an adverb?
No, "collect" is not an adverb.
Is "collect" an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, "collect" refers to a specific type of prayer and is not abstract.
Is "collect" a countable noun?
When used as a noun (less commonly, referring to a type of prayer), "collect" is countable.
Is the word "collect" Gerund?
The gerund form of "collect" is "collecting."
Which determiner is used with "collect"?
Determiners such as "to" can be used with "collect," as in "to collect stamps."
Which vowel is used before "collect"?
"A" or "an" can be used before "collect" depending on the context, typically "to collect."
What part of speech is "collect"?
"Collect" is a verb.
What is the singular form of "collect"?
"Collect" is a verb and does not have a singular or plural form. The base verb is used for both singular and plural subjects.
What is the opposite of "collect"?
The opposite of "collect" could be "scatter" or "disperse."
Is "collect" a vowel or consonant?
"Collect" begins with the consonant 'c'.
Which conjunction is used with "collect"?
Conjunctions such as "and" can be used with "collect," e.g., "collect and organize."
Is the "collect" term a metaphor?
"Collect" can be used metaphorically, particularly in expressions like "collect one's thoughts."
Which preposition is used with "collect"?
"Collect" is often used with prepositions like "from," as in "collect from different sources."
Is "collect" a negative or positive word?
"Collect" is generally neutral, though it can have positive connotations when associated with collecting things of value or interest.
Which article is used with "collect"?
The definite article "the" is often used with "collect," especially when referring to specific instances, e.g., "the collect at the church service."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
