calling collect

Verb

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

1. (US, intransitive) 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.
   • 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. (US, transitive) To call (someone) in this way.
   • Call me what you want — just don’t call me collect.