co
lla
tion
Plural
collations
1
a light and informal selection of food items served between meals
A collation is a light meal or refreshment typically served between main meals or at a social gathering. This term is often used in the context of informal events, such as meetings, receptions, or afternoon gatherings, where a variety of small, easy-to-eat items are provided. A collation might include finger foods like sandwiches, pastries, fruit, cheese, nuts, and beverages such as tea, coffee, or juice. The focus is on providing a variety of light and convenient options that guests can enjoy while mingling or during a break in activities.
- They served a light collation of fruit and sandwiches after the meeting.
- Guests enjoyed a collation of cheese, crackers, and wine.
- The afternoon seminar included a short break with a modest collation.
- We had a quick collation before heading to the evening event.
- A cold collation was offered at the garden party.
2
the act of examining and comparing texts, documents, or data to identify differences or inconsistencies
- The editor performed a collation of two manuscript versions.
- Historical researchers often rely on collation to verify original texts.
- Collation revealed several errors in the translated document.
- The librarian conducted a collation of old archives and new copies.
- Scholars used collation to resolve disputes between different sources.
3
the process of putting pages, documents, or other items into the correct numerical, logical, or sequential order
- The printer handles automatic collation of multi-page documents.
- Collation is essential before binding the reports into booklets.
- The secretary spent the morning on the collation of training materials.
- The system performs collation of data before generating reports.
- Without proper collation, the pages of the exam papers got mixed up.