collect

Other forms: collected; collecting; collects

The verb collect describes gathering or bringing something together. Charity organizations often collect warm coats for people in need.

Other people who want to help those in need seek monetary donations. If you volunteer for a charity, you may collect on behalf of the charity — meaning you get donations. Collect can also refer to getting payment for money that is owed. If you owe money to someone, eventually he'll find you and say, "I'm here to collect."

Definitions of collect

1. verb

   gather or collect
   synonyms: call for, gather up, pick up

   type of:

   acquire, get

   come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
2. verb

   get or gather together
   synonyms: accumulate, amass, compile, hoard, pile up, roll up

   types:

   run up

   pile up (debts or scores)

   corral

   collect or gather

   pull in

   get or bring together

   come up, scrape, scrape up, scratch

   gather (money or other resources) together over time

   chunk, lump

   put together indiscriminately

   bale

   make into a bale

   catch

   take in and retain

   fund

   accumulate a fund for the discharge of a recurrent liability

   fund

   place or store up in a fund for accumulation

   archive, file away

   put into an archive

   nickel-and-dime

   accumulate gradually

   beat up, drum up, rally

   gather

   type of:

   hive away, lay in, put in, salt away, stack away, stash away, store

   keep or lay aside for future use
3. verb

   get or bring together
   synonyms: pull in

   types:

   archive, file away

   put into an archive

   beat up, drum up, rally

   gather

   type of:

   accumulate, amass, compile, hoard, pile up, roll up

   get or gather together
4. verb

   assemble or get together
   synonyms: garner, gather, pull together

   types:

   marshal, mobilise, mobilize, summon

   make ready for action or use

   rake

   gather with a rake

   glean, harvest, reap

   gather, as of natural products

   club

   gather into a club-like mass

   hive

   gather into a hive

   salvage, scavenge

   collect discarded or refused material

   come up, muster, muster up, rally, summon

   gather or bring together

   round up

   seek out and bring together

   cull, pick, pluck

   look for and gather

   nut

   gather nuts

   snail

   gather snails

   bird-nest, birdnest

   gather birdnests

   nest

   gather nests

   oyster

   gather oysters, dig oysters

   sponge

   gather sponges, in the ocean

   pearl

   gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean

   clam

   gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean

   shock

   collect or gather into shocks

   heap up, pile up, stack up

   arrange into piles or stacks

   glean

   collect or gather bit by bit, especially information

   whelk

   gather whelk

   cut

   reap or harvest

   mushroom

   pick or gather mushrooms

   berry

   pick or gather berries
5. verb

   call for and obtain payment of
   “we collected over a million dollars in outstanding debts”

   “he collected the rent”

   synonyms: take in

   types:

   farm

   collect fees or profits

   raise

   collect funds for a specific purpose

   fund raise, fund-raise, fundraise

   raise money for a cause or project

   type of:

   take

   take into one's possession
6. adjective

   payable by the recipient on delivery
   “a collect call”

   “the letter came collect”

   synonyms: cod

   due

   owed and payable immediately or on demand
7. adverb

   make a telephone call or mail a package so that the recipient pays
   “call collect”

   “send a package collect”