Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

take up a collection en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To request and receive money or goods of value from members of a group, especially for a charitable purpose.
    • When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. 2001 September 17, Jodie Morse, “Campus Crusader”, in Time:
    • "But I hope nobody's took up a collection for me. I don't want no charity." 1915, Mary Roberts Rinehart, chapter 27, in K: A Novel:
    • Then somebody sings out, "Take up a collection for him, take up a collection!" Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, "Let HIM pass the hat around!" 1885, Mark Twain, chapter 20, in Huckleberry Finn:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
taking up a collection Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
took up a collection Tense=Past lexicographic
takes up a collection Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
taken up a collection Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

collection plate

Synonyms

pass the hat