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Focus vs Collect - What's the difference?

focus | collect |

In lang=en terms the difference between focus and collect

is that focus is to concentrate one’s attention while collect is to infer; to conclude.

As nouns the difference between focus and collect

is that focus is (countable|optics) a point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge while collect is (christianity) the prayer said before the reading of the epistle lesson, especially one found in a prayerbook, as with the book of common prayer.

As verbs the difference between focus and collect

is that focus is to cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point while collect is to gather together; amass.

As an adjective collect is

to be paid for by the recipient, as a telephone call or a shipment.

As an adverb collect is

with payment due from the recipient.

focus

English

(wikipedia focus)

Noun

  • (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
  • (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus'.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • (uncountable) Concentration of attention.
  • (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions.
  • (computing, graphical user interface) The indicator of the currently active element in a user interface.
  • (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.
  • Verb

  • To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
  • To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
  • You'll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  • To concentrate one's attention.
  • Focus on passing the test.
  • To concentrate one’s attention.
  • If you're going to beat your competitors, you need to focus .

    Usage notes

    The spellings focusses'', ''focussing'', ''focussed'' are more common in Commonwealth English than in American English, but in both varieties they are less common than the spellings ''focuses'', ''focusing'', ''focused .

    Derived terms

    * focus group * in focus * out of focus

    collect

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) collecten, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To gather together; amass.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
  • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.}}
  • To get; particularly, get from someone.
  • To accumulate a number of similar or related (objects), particularly for a hobby or recreation.
  • To form a conclusion; to deduce, infer. (Compare (gather), (get).)
  • * 1992 , (Hilary Mantel), A Place of Greater Safety , Harper Perennial 2007, p. 292-3:
  • the riot is so great that it is very difficult to collect what is being said.
  • * John Locke
  • which sequence, I conceive, is very ill collected .
  • To collect payments.
  • To come together in a group or mass.
  • To collect objects as a hobby.
  • To infer; to conclude.
  • * South
  • Whence some collect that the former word imports a plurality of persons.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • To be paid for by the recipient, as a telephone call or a shipment.
  • It was to be a collect delivery, but no-one was available to pay.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • With payment due from the recipient.
  • I had to call collect .

    Derived terms

    * call collect * collect one's thoughts * collect one's wits * collect up * collectible * collection * collector * recollect, recollection

    Etymology 2

    (Wikipedia) From (etyl) .

    Noun

  • (en noun) (sometimes capitalized)
  • (Christianity) The prayer said before the reading of the epistle lesson, especially one found in a prayerbook, as with the Book of Common Prayer.
  • He used the day's collect as the basis of his sermon.