col‧lect 1 S1 W2 / kəlekt / 动词

1 bring together [及物动词] to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together → collection , collector :

After 25 years of collecting recipes, she has compiled them into a cookbook.

The company collects information about consumer trends.

We’ve been out collecting signatures for our petition.

2 keep objects [及物动词] to get and keep objects of the same type, because you think they are attractive or interesting → collection , collector :

Arlene collects teddy bears.

3 rent/debts/taxes [及物动词] to get money that you are owed → collector

collect tax/rent/a debt

The landlady came around once a month to collect the rent.

4 money to help people [不及物和及物动词] to ask people to give you money or goods for an organization that helps people

collect for

I’m collecting for Children in Need.

5 increase in amount [不及物和及物动词] if something collects in a place, or you collect it there, it gradually increases in amount :

Rain collected in pools on the road.

solar panels for collecting energy from the sun

I didn’t know what to do with it, so it just sat there collecting dust .

6 win something [及物动词] to receive something because you have won a race, game etc :

Redgrave collected his fifth Olympic gold medal in Sydney.

7 collect yourself/collect your thoughts to make an effort to remain calm and think clearly and carefully about something :

I got there early so I had a few minutes to collect my thoughts before the meeting began.

8 take somebody/something from a place [及物动词] especially British English to come to a particular place in order to take someone or something away 同义词 pick up American English :

Martin’s gone to collect the children from school.

I’ve got to go and collect the book I ordered from the library.

9 crowd [不及物动词] formal to come together gradually to form a group of people 同义词 gather :

A crowd was beginning to collect around the scene of the accident.

THESAURUS

collect to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together : She collects stamps (= as a hobby ) . | They have collected 650 signatures for their petition.

gather to collect information from different places, or to collect crops, flowers, wood etc, especially from the ground : Computers make it easier to gather information. | The men gathered firewood.

assemble formal to collect something such as information in an organized way : When all the evidence is assembled, we will write our report.

build up to gradually collect more things of the same type over time : He has built up one of the country’s finest collections of art.

accumulate to gradually get more and more of something such as money, possessions, or knowledge, over time. Accumulate is more formal than build up : He is driven by the desire to accumulate wealth.

amass to collect a large amount of something such as money, information, or knowledge, over time : Carnegie amassed a fortune in the steel industry.

run up a bill/debt/loss informal to allow a debt to increase quickly, especially by spending too much : He ran up huge gambling debts.

collect something ↔ up 短语动词 British English

to pick up several things, and put them together 同义词 gather up :

Can you collect up all the dirty plates and cups?