Etymology From Middle English collacioun, collation, from Old French collation, from Latin collatiō, from the participle stem of cōnferō (“to bring together”).
The act of bringing things together and comparing them; comparison.
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
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:
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The act of collating pages or sheets of a book, or from printing etc.
3
A collection, a gathering.
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:
In plural The Collationes Patrum in Scetica Eremo Commorantium by John Cassian, an important ecclesiastical work. (Now usually with capital initial.)
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]:
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A reading held from the work mentioned above, as a regular service in Benedictine monasteries.
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:
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The light meal taken by monks after the reading service mentioned above.
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Any light meal or snack.
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:
1 more example
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:
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Ecclesiastical, Lifestyle, Religion The presentation of a clergyman to a benefice by a bishop, who has it in his own gift.
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The blending together of property so as to achieve equal division, mainly in the case of inheritance.
Civil law; inheritance; civil law; inheritance
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Scotland An 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.
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:
Computing, Databases, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The specification of how character data should be treated stored and sorted.
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Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences, Textual criticism The 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.
Etymology From Middle English collacioun, collation, from Old French collation, from Latin collatiō, from the participle stem of cōnferō (“to bring together”).
1
Obsolete To 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: