collector
gb/kəlˈɛktɚ/ us/kəlˈɛktɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who collects things
someone who keeps many of the same kind of thing
Usage pattern:
a collector of [things]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse collector (person) with collection (group of things).
Synonyms
gatherer (More general; not necessarily a hobby or organized collecting.)
|
enthusiast (Focuses on strong interest; may not actively collect items.)
Collocations
stamp collector
|coin collector
|art collector
|a keen collector
|a serious collector
|a private collector
|collector of records
|collector of antiques
|collector of memorabilia
|collector community
Themes
hobbies
|shopping
|culture
Examples
- She’s a collector of vintage cameras and keeps them in glass cases.
- Collectors lined up early for the rare vinyl release.
- He became a serious art collector after his first gallery visit.
Learner examples
- My uncle is a coin collector.
- She is a collector of old books.
Noun
B2
role
2
person who collects money owed
someone whose job is to get money people owe
Usage pattern:
a collector for [company/agency]; a [tax/debt/rent] collector
Common mistake:
A collector collects money owed; a cashier takes payment at the time of purchase.
Synonyms
debt agent (Less common; emphasizes acting on behalf of a creditor.)
Antonyms
debtor (The person who owes the money, not the person collecting it.)
Collocations
debt collector
|tax collector
|bill collector
|rent collector
|collection agency collector
|send a collector
|collector calls
|collector visits
|collector letter
|collector fees
Themes
business
|money
|law
Examples
- A collector came to the door asking for the overdue payment.
- The company hired collectors to recover unpaid invoices.
- He worked as a tax collector for the local government.
Learner examples
- The collector asked me to pay the bill.
- A tax collector collects taxes.
Noun
C1
role
3
person who gathers items professionally
someone who finds and gets items for a museum or similar place
Usage pattern:
a collector for [museum/library]; a field collector
Common mistake:
Collector can be a job role; it doesn’t always mean a hobby.
Synonyms
acquisitions specialist (More formal and job-specific; often used within institutions.)
Collocations
museum collector
|archive collector
|field collector
|specimen collector
|collection policy
|acquisitions collector
|collector for the museum
|collector in the field
|collector’s report
|donate to a collector
Themes
education
|culture
|science
Examples
- The museum’s collector traveled to source objects for the new exhibit.
- A field collector recorded where each plant specimen was found.
- The collector negotiated a donation with the artist’s estate.
Learner examples
- The collector works for a museum.
Noun
B2
entity
4
device that gathers or traps something
a thing that collects something
Usage pattern:
a [dust/solar/rain] collector
Common mistake:
This sense is about a device or container, not a person.
Synonyms
trap (Emphasizes catching/holding rather than collecting for storage or use.)
|
container (More general; may not be designed specifically to collect.)
Collocations
dust collector
|solar collector
|rainwater collector
|collector tank
|collector box
|collector unit
|install a collector
|collector system
|collector pipe
|collector tray
Themes
technology
|home
|engineering
Examples
- The workshop added a dust collector to improve air quality.
- A solar collector on the roof heats water for the building.
- The technician emptied the collector tray after the test run.
Learner examples
- This machine has a dust collector.
Noun
B2
role
5
person who gathers information
someone who collects information
Usage pattern:
a data collector; a collector of [information/data]
Common mistake:
In privacy contexts, collector can mean a company that gathers data, not a person.
Synonyms
researcher (Broader; may analyze data as well as collect it.)
|
surveyor (Often someone who collects information by asking questions.)
Collocations
data collector
|information collector
|survey collector
|census collector
|collector of personal data
|third-party collector
|data collection
|collector ID
|collector app
|collector consent
Themes
business
|technology
|government
Examples
- Data collectors visited households to complete the survey.
- The policy identifies the website as a collector of personal information.
- Each collector followed the same script to reduce bias.
Learner examples
- The collector asked questions for a survey.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
transistor terminal called collector
one of the three parts of a BJT transistor
Usage pattern:
the collector of a transistor; collector current; collector voltage
Common mistake:
This is specific to bipolar transistors; don’t mix it up with a FET’s drain.
Collocations
collector current
|collector voltage
|collector-emitter
|collector resistor
|collector terminal
|collector node
|collector load
|common-collector
|collector junction
|collector circuit
Themes
electronics
|technology
|engineering
Examples
- Measure the voltage at the collector to confirm the transistor is switching.
- The collector current rises when the base current increases.
- In a common-collector stage, the output is taken from the emitter.
Grammar
Dictionary form
collector
IPA
GB/kəlˈɛktɚ/
US/kəlˈɛktɚ/
Syllables & stress
col - lect - or (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lect)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: collector
- Plural: collectors
Word family
Forms
collectors
noun
Core family
collect
verb A2
collection
noun A2
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
uncollectible
adjective
Advanced or less common
collectivism
noun C1
collectivist
noun
Expressions
collector's edition
1/kəlˈɛktɚz ɪdˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Special version aimed at collectors
A special form of something made for people who collect it.
Examples
- The collector's edition came with exclusive artwork.
- He bought the collector's edition vinyl record.
collector's edition
1/kəlˈɛktɚz ɪdˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
special release with extras
a special version made for collectors
Examples
- I bought the collector's edition because it includes a behind-the-scenes book.
- The collector's edition sold out within hours of release.
- They reissued the album as a collector's edition on colored vinyl.
collector's item
1/kəlˈɛktɚz ˈaɪtəm/
fixed phrase
valuable object sought by collectors
something rare that collectors want
Examples
- The original poster has become a collector's item.
- Limited-edition sneakers can turn into collector's items quickly.
- In mint condition, the toy is a real collector's item.
debt collector
1/dˈɛt kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
person who collects unpaid debts
a person or company that asks for unpaid money
Examples
- After months of missed payments, a debt collector contacted him.
- She asked the debt collector to communicate only in writing.
- Debt collectors must follow strict rules about harassment.
dust collector
1/dˈʌst kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
machine that removes dust
a machine that collects dust
Examples
- He connected the saw to a dust collector to keep the shop clean.
- A good dust collector can reduce fine particles in the air.
- They replaced the filter in the dust collector last week.
garbage collector
1/ɡˈɑɹbɪd͡ʒ kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
program that frees unused memory
In some programming languages, a part of the system that finds and removes data in memory that programs are not using anymore.
Examples
- The garbage collector runs in the background and can pause the application.
- Developers tuned the garbage collector to reduce latency.
garbage collector
1/ɡˈɑɹbɪd͡ʒ kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
person who collects household trash
a person who takes away trash
Examples
- The garbage collectors start early in the morning.
- We thanked the garbage collector for picking up the extra bags.
- A strike by garbage collectors caused trash to pile up downtown.
garbage collector
2/ɡˈɑɹbɪd͡ʒ kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
program that frees unused memory
software that cleans up unused memory
Examples
- The garbage collector pauses the application to reclaim memory.
- A memory leak can happen even with a garbage collector if objects are still referenced.
- They tuned the garbage collector to reduce latency.
tax collector
1/tˈæks kəlˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
person who collects taxes
a person who collects money for taxes
Examples
- The tax collector’s office is on the first floor of city hall.
- She paid the property tax directly to the tax collector.
- Historically, tax collectors were often unpopular figures.