(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ someone or something by a particular name or title, you give them that name or title.
‘Doctor...’—‘Will you please ~ me Sarah?’...
Everybody ~ed each other by their surnames.
VERB: V n n, V n by n
~ed
There are two men ~ed Buckley at the Home Office.
...a device ~ed an optical amplifier.
ADJ: v-link ADJ
2.
If you ~ someone or something a particular thing, you suggest they are that thing or describe them as that thing.
The speech was interrupted by members of the Conservative Party, who ~ed him a traitor...
She ~s me lazy and selfish...
He ~ed it particularly cynical to begin releasing the hostages on Christmas Day...
Anyone can ~ themselves a psychotherapist.
VERB: V n n, V n adj, V it adj to-inf, V pron-refl n
3.
If you ~ something, you say it in a loud voice, because you are trying to attract someone’s attention.
He could hear the others downstairs in different parts of the house ~ing his name...
‘Boys!’ she ~ed again.
VERB: V n, V with quote
•
Call out means the same as ~ .
The butcher’s son ~ed out a greeting...
The train stopped and a porter ~ed out, ‘Middlesbrough!’
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P with quote, also V n P
4.
If you ~ someone, you telephone them.
Would you ~ me as soon as you find out?...
A friend of mine gave me this number to ~...
‘May I speak with Mr Coyne, please?’—‘May I ask who’s ~ing?’
= phone
VERB: V n, V n, V
5.
If you ~ someone such as a doctor or the police, you ask them to come to you, usually by telephoning them.
He screamed for his wife to ~ an ambulance...
One night he was ~ed to see a woman with tuberculosis.
VERB: V n, be V-ed to-inf
6.
If you ~ someone, you ask them to come to you by shouting to them.
She ~ed her young son: ‘Here, Stephen, come and look at this!’...
He ~ed me over the Tannoy.
VERB: V n, V n prep
7.
When you make a telephone ~, you telephone someone.
I made a phone ~ to the United States to talk to a friend...
I’ve had hundreds of ~s from other victims...
N-COUNT
8.
If someone in authority ~s something such as a meeting, rehearsal, or election, they arrange for it to take place at a particular time.
The Committee decided to ~ a meeting of the All India Congress...
The RSC was ~ing a press conference to announce the theatre’s closure...
VERB: V n, V n
9.
If someone is ~ed before a court or committee, they are ordered to appear there, usually to give evidence.
The child waited two hours before she was ~ed to give evidence...
I was ~ed as an expert witness.
= summon
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed prep
10.
If you ~ somewhere, you make a short visit there.
A market researcher ~ed at the house where he was living...
Andrew now came almost weekly to ~.
VERB: V prep/adv, V
•
Call is also a noun.
He decided to pay a ~ on Tommy Cummings.
N-COUNT
11.
When a train, bus, or ship ~s somewhere, it stops there for a short time to allow people to get on or off.
The steamer ~s at several ports along the way.
VERB: V prep/adv
12.
To ~ a game or sporting event means to cancel it, for example because of rain or bad light. (AM)
We ~ed the next game.
= ~ off
VERB: V n
13.
If there is a ~ for something, someone demands that it should happen.
There have been ~s for a new kind of security arrangement...
Almost all workers heeded a ~ by the trade unions to stay at home for the duration of the strike.
N-COUNT: usu N for n, N to-inf
14.
If there is little or no ~ for something, very few people want it to be done or provided.
‘Have you got just plain chocolate?’—‘No, I’m afraid there’s not much ~ for that.’
= demand
N-UNCOUNT: with brd-neg, N for n
15.
The ~ of something such as a place is the way it attracts or interests you strongly.
= pull, lure
N-SING: with poss
16.
The ~ of a particular bird or animal is the characteristic sound that it makes.
...a wide range of animal noises and bird ~s.
N-COUNT
17.
see also ~ing , so-~ed
18.
If you say that there is no ~ for someone to behave in a particular way, you are criticizing their behaviour, usually because you think it is rude.
There was no ~ for him to single you out from all the others.
= there is no need for
PHRASE: PHR n to-inf, PHR n disapproval
19.
If someone is on ~, they are ready to go to work at any time if they are needed, especially if there is an emergency.
In theory I’m on ~ day and night.
...a doctor on ~.
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR
20.
If you ~ in sick, you telephone the place where you work to tell them you will not be coming to work because you are ill.
‘Shouldn’t you be at work today?’—‘I ~ed in sick.’
PHRASE: V inflects
21.
to ~ someone’s bluff: see bluff
to ~ it a day: see day
to ~ a halt: see halt
to ~ something to mind: see mind
~ of nature: see nature
to ~ something your own: see own
to ~ something into question: see question
to ~ it quits: see quit
to ~ a spade a spade: see spade
to ~ the tune: see tune
too close to ~: see close