collector

[ kuh-lek-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that collects.
2. a person employed to collect debts, duties, taxes, etc.
3. a person who collects books, paintings, stamps, shells, etc., especially as a hobby.
4. Electricity. a device for accumulating current from contact conductors.
5. Electronics. an electrode in a transistor or vacuum tube for collecting electrons, ions, or holes.
6. Metallurgy. promoter ( def 5 ).
7. Energy. solar collector.

collector

/ kəˈlɛktə /

noun

1. a person or thing that collects
2. a person employed to collect debts, rents, etc
3. the head of a district administration in India
4. a person who collects or amasses objects as a hobby
5. electronics the region in a transistor into which charge carriers flow from the base

Derived Forms

• colˈlectorˌship, noun

Other Words From

• col·lector·ship col·lector·ate noun
• precol·lector noun
• subcol·lector noun
• subcol·lector·ship noun
• under·col·lector noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of collector¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin, equivalent to Latin colleg- (variant stem of colligere; collect ¹ ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

It was part of the Anglesey family jewellery collection for about 100 years before it was sold to a private Asian collector in the 1960s.

From BBC

On Thursday, PBS debuts its new children’s program, “Carl the Collector.”

From Los Angeles Times

But “Carl the Collector” is also groundbreaking because Carl is autistic.

From Los Angeles Times

“Zach didn’t know I existed when he started writing ‘Carl the Collector,’” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

I also had no business really even buying that because it’s so rare and a collector’s piece.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• connoisseur
• hobbyist