collection (n.)
late 14c., "action of collecting, practice of gathering together," from Old French collection (14c.), from Latin collectionem (nominative collectio) "a gathering together," noun of action from past-participle stem of colligere "gather together" (see collect).
Especially of money gathered for religious or charitable purposes from 1530s. Meaning "a group of objects viewed as a whole" is from c. 1400; sense of "an assemblage of gathered objects" is from mid-15c. Meaning "act of receiving or compelling payment of money owed" is from 1650s.
Entries linking to collection
early 15c., "gather into one place or group" (transitive), from Old French collecter "to collect" (late 14c.), from Latin collectus, past participle of colligere "gather together," from assimilated form of com "together" (see com-) + legere "to gather," from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather."
The intransitive sense "gather together, accumulate" is attested from 1794. Related: Collected; collecting. As an adjective or adverb meaning "paid by the recipient," it is attested from 1893, originally with reference to telegrams.
updated on January 18, 2018
Dictionary entries near collection
colleague
collect
collected
collectible
collectibles
collection
collective
collectivism
collectivize
collector
Colleen
