Other forms: collectors
A collector is somebody who gathers a set of things. A stamp collector, an art collector, a keen collector.
The word covers the hobbyist and the wealthy buyer equally, and collectors' item and collectable are the trade terms for what they want. A collector is also an official who gathers money: a rent collector, a debt collector, a ticket collector. Note collection, which means both the set and the act; and that in museums the collections are the holdings, most of which are never on display.
1nouncollectorSomebody who gathers a set of things.
“He was a serious collector for about fifty years.”
2nounofficialAn official who gathers money or tickets.
“The rent collector came round every Friday morning.”
collector is somebody who gathers.
Latin collector comes from colligere, to gather together — con-, together, plus legere, to pick or read. The same legere gives lecture, legible and select, so gathering and reading are one root.
Proto-Indo-European
*leǵ-
Latin
collēctor
Anglo-Norman
collectour
Middle English
collectour
English, today
collector
Middle English collectour, from Anglo-Norman collectour, from Latin collēctor, from Latin colligō (“to gather together”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA