[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin collātiō, collātiōn-, a bringing together, from collātus, past participle of cōnferre, to bring together; see CONFER. Sense 2, from Middle English, evening gathering in a monastery for reading saints' lives, homilies, etc., at which a light meal was served, from Late Latin collātiōnēs, plural of collātiō, conference (perhaps specifically in Collationes patrum in scetica eremo commorantium (“Conferences with the Egyptian Hermits”), title of a work about early Christian ascetics written by St. John Cassian (c. 360-435 AD), Roman Christian monk and theologian, that was read in Benedictine monasteries to the assembled monks before compline and may have given its name to the gatherings).]