to gather together; assemble

The professor collected the students' exams.

to accumulate; make a collection of

to collect stamps.

to receive or compel payment of

to collect a bill.

to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like)

At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.

to call for and take with one

He drove off to collect his guests. They collected their mail.

Manège . to bring (a horse) into a collected attitude.

Archaic . to infer.

to gather together; assemble

The students collected in the assembly hall.

to accumulate

Rain water collected in the barrel.

to receive payment (often fol. by on )

He collected on the damage to his house.

to gather or bring together books, stamps, coins, etc., usually as a hobby

He's been collecting for years.

Manège . (of a horse) to come into a collected attitude.

requiring payment by the recipient

a collect telephone call; a telegram sent collect.

verb

dispense , disperse , disseminate , distribute , divide , scatter , share , compensate , give , meed

verb

aggregate , amass , array , assemble , cluster , compile , congregate , congress , convene , converge , convoke , corral , flock , flock together , gather , get hold of , group , heap , hoard , muster , rally , rendezvous , round up , save , scare up , stockpile , acquire , dig up , pass the hat , raise , requisition , secure , solicit , call , get together , summon , accrue , agglomerate , cumulate , garner , hive , pile up , roll up , forgather , contain , control , cool , simmer down , accumulate , agglutinate , conflate , conglomerate , contract , get , glean , impound , levy , obtain , pile , pool , sheave , tax

noun

litany , orison , rogation