Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - collection

n. 1 the act or process of collecting or being collected. 2 a group of things collected together, esp. systematically. 3 (foll. by of) an accumulation; a mass or pile (a collection of dust). 4 a the collecting of money, esp. in church or for a charitable cause. b the amount collected. 5 the regular removal of mail, esp. from a postbox, for dispatch. 6 (in pl.) Brit. college examinations held at the end of a term, esp. at Oxford University. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L collectio -onis (as COLLECT(1))