collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər 

: one that collects: such as

a

: an official who collects funds or moneys

b

: a person who makes a collection

stamp collector

c

: an object or device that collects

the statuette was a dust collector

d

: solar collector

collectorship

kə-ˈlek-tər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of collector in a Sentence

He is an avid stamp collector.

The painting was purchased by a private collector.

The trash collectors came early today.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Barbie went on sale at 9 p.m. PT on Wednesday (midnight Thursday ET) and was only available to members of a subscription-paying Barbie collectors group on the site. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025

Envisioned by Brazilian collector Renato de Albuquerque and his granddaughter Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho, the Albuquerque Foundation is a new center dedicated to ceramics opening to public in Sintra on 22nd February 2025. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

The late singer is one of the most recent musicians to join the music collector series, which celebrates singers and songwriters who have made a long-lasting impact on the music industry. —Essence, 16 Jan. 2025

Meet other stamp collectors to talk, trade, buy or sell, United States and foreign. —Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English collectour, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin collēctōr-, collēctor, from colleg-, variant stem of colligere "to gather together, assemble, accumulate" + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at collect entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing collector

• collector's item
• solar collector

Kids Definition

collector

noun

col·​lec·​tor kə-ˈlek-tər 

1

: a person whose job is to collect money due

tax collector

bill collector

2

: one that makes a collection

stamp collector

3

: an object or device that collects

the ornament was just a dust collector