call collect

verb

To make a telephone call in which the cost of the call is paid by the person receiving the call; to place a collect call.

“Call me what you want — just don’t call me collect.”

Similar
reverse the charge
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Meanings

verbcall collect (third-person singular simple present calls collect, present participle calling collect, simple past and past participle called collect)

present singular third person calls collect · participle present calling collect · participle past called collect · past called collect

  1. USintransitiveTo make a telephone call in which the cost of the call is paid by the person receiving the call; to place a collect call.

    In the days of payphones, if you had no coins, you could call collect and hope that the callee would accept the charges.

    Synonyms: reverse the charge

  2. UStransitiveTo call (someone) in this way.

    Call me what you want — just don’t call me collect.

    1 more example

    Please call me to let me know you’re safe — you’re welcome to call me collect.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make a telephone call in which the cost of the call is paid by the person receiving the call; to place a collect call.

Similar
reverse the charge
Also see
reverse the charges

Translations

Finnish soittaa vastapuhelu
  • soittaa vastapuheluto make a phone call paid by the person receiving the call
French appeler en PCV
  • appeler en PCVto make a phone call paid by the person receiving the call
Polish dzwonić na koszt rozmówcy
  • dzwonić na koszt rozmówcyto make a phone call paid by the person receiving the call
Cite this entry
APA

call collect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20collect

MLA

“call collect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20collect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “call collect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20collect.

Source: call collect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.