n. One who collects or gathers; especially, one who makes it a pursuit or an amusement to collect objects of interest, as books, paintings, plants, minerals, shells, etc.n. A compiler; one who gathers and puts together parts of books, or scattered pieces, in one book.n. A person employed to collect dues, public or private; especially, an officer appointed and commissioned to collect and receive customs duties, taxes, or toll within a certain district.n. Specifically In British India, the chief administrative official of a zillah or district, charged with the collection of the revenue, and also, except in Bengal proper, possessing certain magisterial powers.n. One of two bachelors of arts in Oxford University who are appointed each Lent to divide the determining bachelors into classes and distribute the schools. Also called Lent collectors.n. A person appointed to care for the estate of a decedent until letters testamentary or of administration upon it are granted.n. In electricity, the upper plate of a disk or condenser, employed for collecting electricity; more generally, any arrangement for collecting electricity.n. [plural] Same as collecting-hairs.n. In the manufacture of artificial silk, a device for collecting and coalescing several collodion filaments from the spinning-apparatus, and then winding them upon bobbins.