collins
collins — noun
1. a chilled cocktail served in a tall glass that mixes gin with fizzy soda water,
a chilled cocktail served in a tall glass that mixes gin with fizzy soda water, sugar, and freshly squeezed citrus from a lemon or lime
Eli ordered a Tom Collins at the rooftop bar while the sun went down.
collocation: order a Tom Collins
Reema squeezed a fresh lemon into the Tom Collins she was making for her aunt.
The bartender handed Paloma a tall glass of Tom Collins with a slice of orange on the rim.
served in a tall glass with garnish
After walking home in the August heat, Kofi poured himself an ice-cold Tom Collins.
Marta had never tasted a Tom Collins before, so her cousin ordered one for her at dinner.
- order a Tom Collins
- make a Tom Collins
- pour a Tom Collins
- sip a Tom Collins
collins — biographical name
1. an American doctor and scientist, born in 1950, who directed the international e
an American doctor and scientist, born in 1950, who directed the international effort to map all human genes and later served as head of the National Institutes of Health
Francis Collins stood at the White House podium and unrolled a printed map of the human genome for the cameras.
Francis Collins and the Human Genome Project
Dr. Collins pointed at a slide of a tumour's genetic map and asked the packed hall which mutation to target.
A young woman handed Francis Collins her copy of his book and said it had brought her back to church.
Francis Collins walked through the NIH campus gates in Bethesda on his first morning as director in 2009.
2. an Irish revolutionary leader, born in 1890 and killed in 1922, who played a key
an Irish revolutionary leader, born in 1890 and killed in 1922, who played a key part in Ireland's struggle for independence from British rule
Michael Collins leaned over the London conference table and studied the treaty papers the British delegates had laid out.
Michael Collins and the Anglo-Irish Treaty
In the film, Michael Collins whispered instructions to a telegraph clerk in a dim back room of a Dublin pub.
Niamh pressed her finger to a photo in her textbook — Michael Collins outside Dublin's burning GPO in 1916.
At just thirty-one years old, Michael Collins was shot dead in an ambush in County Cork.
3. an American astronaut, born in 1930 and died in 2021, who stayed in orbit around
an American astronaut, born in 1930 and died in 2021, who stayed in orbit around the Moon inside the command module while his crewmates walked on the lunar surface during Apollo 11
While Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon, Michael Collins circled alone in the command module.
Michael Collins and the Apollo 11 mission
Michael Collins said he felt like the loneliest person alive while he orbited the Moon alone.
The museum had a whole room about Michael Collins and his quiet role in the Moon landing.
Ten-year-old Mei-Lin sat at her kitchen table in Houston and addressed her envelope to 'Astronaut Michael Collins, NASA.'
4. an English poet, born in 1721 and died in 1759, whose short lyrical odes helped
an English poet, born in 1721 and died in 1759, whose short lyrical odes helped shape the emotional style that later Romantic poets would develop
By candlelight in his Chichester cottage, William Collins dipped his quill and wrote the line 'How sleep the brave.'
William Collins, 18th-century English poet
Dr. Henshaw opened Collins's Odes to the page where Wordsworth had pencilled notes in the margin.
Layla found a slim 1790 volume of Collins's odes in a Chichester bookshop and paid two pounds at the till.
Samuel Johnson dipped his pen and wrote William Collins onto the list of poets for his new book of criticism.
5. an English novelist, born in 1824 and died in 1889, who wrote some of the first
an English novelist, born in 1824 and died in 1889, who wrote some of the first mystery and detective stories in the English language
Wilkie Collins read the last chapter of The Woman in White aloud to himself and then set the manuscript aside.
Wilkie Collins and the birth of the mystery novel
When Sergeant Cuff knelt to examine the painted door in The Moonstone, readers across England cancelled their dinner plans.
Charles Dickens handed Wilkie Collins a sheaf of pages at his magazine office and said, 'Write the next chapter.'
Clara sank into her sofa in her Brighton flat and pressed play on the new BBC adaptation of The Moonstone.
6. an American poet, born in 1941, who served as United States Poet Laureate from 2
an American poet, born in 1941, who served as United States Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003 and is widely known for humorous, plain-spoken poems about everyday life
The librarian handed Sirin a Billy Collins collection and told her to start with the dog poem.
Billy Collins as a contemporary American poet
Daichi read a Billy Collins poem at his sister's wedding and made everyone in the room smile.
Professor Astrid played a recording of Billy Collins reading about forgetting, and the class sat in silence when it finished.
The bookshop kept a full shelf of Billy Collins collections right by the front window.
Etymology
Collins is an Irish surname that comes from the Gaelic Ó Coileáin, meaning 'descendant of Coileán' — a personal name thought to mean 'young dog' or 'puppy'. The cocktail Tom Collins first appeared in American bars during the 1870s and may have been named after a bartender, or possibly from a hoax that swept New York in which people were told 'Tom Collins is talking about you' and sent running around town looking for the nonexistent man.
First known use
1887
1887, in the meaning defined above