The term used by middlemen in the wool trade of the clip collected from many small-scale producers. This happened during the great time of sheep farming in the 13c. These middlemen could be magnates or abbeys such as those of the Cistercian order, who contracted to supply so much from their own flocks, but also agreed to supply a specified number of sacks, collected from the surrounding area. [< Lat. collectum = something collected] -
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.