collation

plural collations

1. Bringing together.
   1. countableuncountableThe act of bringing things together and comparing them; comparison.First known use 14th c.

      November 8, 1717, The Bishop of Rochester, letter to Alexander Pope I return you your Milton, which, upon collation, I find to be revised, and augmented, in several places

      1 more example

      The collation of philosophical opinions, the study of historical facts, the acquirement of languages, were at once my recreation, and the serious aim of my life.

      1826, [Mary Shelley], The Last Man. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC

   2. countableuncountableThe act of collating pages or sheets of a book, or from printing etc.First known use 19th c.
   3. countableuncountableA collection, a gathering.First known use 20th c.

      It's fantastic, as is so much of Forgiveness Rock Record, a collation of so many talents that it's practically bursting at the seams.

      2010 April 29, Will Dean, The Guardian

2. Discussion, light meal.
   1. countableobsoleteuncountableA conference or consultation.First known use 14th–17th c.
   2. countablein pluraluncountableThe Collationes Patrum in Scetica Eremo Commorantium by John Cassian, an important ecclesiastical work. (Now usually with capital initial.)First known use 13th c.

      A certain abbot, named Moses, thus testifieth of himself in the Collations of Cassianus, that he so afflicted himself with much fasting and watching, that sometimes, for two or three days together, not only he felt no appetite to eat, but also had no remembrance of any meat at all […]

      1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], →OCLC, book I, page [55]

   3. countableuncountableA reading held from the work mentioned above, as a regular service in Benedictine monasteries.First known use 14th c.

      When the hymn was over the Sacrist was to strike the table for collation, and the Deacon to enter with the Gospel, preceded by three converts, carrying the candlestick and censer.

      1843, TD Fosbroke, British Monachism, page 52

   4. countableuncountableThe light meal taken by monks after the reading service mentioned above.First known use 14th c.
   5. countableuncountableAny light meal or snack.First known use 16th c.

      Yes, absolutely; supper, at least in English tradition, was a cold collation, left out by cook before retiring.

      2008, Tim Hayward, The Guardian, 13 May 08

      2 more examples

      Her first glance was one of triumph—her next was one of mingled admiration and gratitude for Louis; and, accepting his offered hand, they led the way to the banquet prepared in the Palais Orion,—a favourite garden-house, where they often had collations when the party was but small, which was the case to-day.

      1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 138

      There were some unofficial local rejoicings, but none of the elaborate junketings which marked the birth of earlier railways. The company had little cash to spend on sumptuous cold collations, and the like.

      1955 April, R. K. Kirkland, “The Staines Branch, Western Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 227

3. countableuncountableecclesiasticalThe presentation of a clergyman to a benefice by a bishop, who has it in his own gift.
4. countableuncountablecivil law; inheritance; civil law; inheritanceThe blending together of property so as to achieve equal division, mainly in the case of inheritance.

   Synonyms: hotchpot

5. Scotlandcountableuncountablecivil law; inheritance; civil law; inheritanceAn heir's right to combine the whole heritable and movable estates of the deceased into one mass, sharing it equally with others who are of the same degree of kindred.
6. countableobsoleteuncountableThe act of conferring or bestowing.

   Not by the collation of the king […] but by the people.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Empire”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

7. countableuncountableecclesiasticalPresentation to a benefice.
8. countableuncountablecomputingThe specification of how character data should be treated stored and sorted.
9. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe process of establishing a corrected text of a work by comparing differing manuscripts or editions of it; also used to describe the work resulting from such a process.

present singular third person collations · participle present collationing · participle past collationed · past collationed

1. obsoleteTo partake of a collation, or light meal.

   I […] collationed in Spring Garden.

   1658 May 29 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for May 20, 1658]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC