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 painting was soon acquired by Charles Saatchi, at the time the most prominent collector of contemporary art in Britain. —Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

Beachum, an art collector, plans on displaying some of his pieces at Ballers, too. —Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

The boutique Blu-ray market has drawn frequent comparisons to the vinyl revival, with both formats appealing to collectors seeking physical ownership and premium quality. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 June 2025

In the meantime, the original bag, which belongs to a private collector, will be on display in at the auction house's New York headquarters from June 6 to June 12. —Alain Sherter, CBS News, 5 June 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

Rhymes for collector

• bisector
• connector
• corrector
• defector
• deflector
• detector
• director
• dissector
• effector
• ejector
• elector
• erector

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