I. ˈkȯl verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English callen, probably from Old Norse kalla; akin to Old English hilde calla battle herald, Old High German kallōn to talk loudly, Middle Irish gall swan, Old Slavic glasŭ voice
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to speak in a loud distinct voice so as to be heard at a distance especially in order to attract the attention of, summon, or make a request of another : cry , shout
call for help
b. : to make a request, appeal, or demand
call upon all nations to keep the peace
he called for an investigation of the facts
c. of an animal : to utter a characteristic note or cry
the thrush calls
d. : to communicate with or try to get into communication with a person by telephone — often used with up
e. card games
(1) : to make a demand (as by requesting or signaling for a particular card or suit to be played)
(2) bridge : to make a declaration (sense 4)
(3) poker : to make one's total bet equal to that of the last preceding bettor
f. : to give the calls for a square dance — often used with off
2. Scotland : to become driven : drive — usually used in the form ca' ; compare ca' canny
3. : to make a brief stop or visit at a place
call to pay your respects
only one ship a year calls at the island
— often used with on
a salesman calling on his customers
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to utter in a loud distinct voice : shout , cry — often used with out
call out a number
(2) : to announce or read out loudly or authoritatively
call the roll
call a halt
— often used with off
call off a row of figures
b.
(1) : to command or request (as by an utterance) to come or be present
I can call spirits from the vasty deep — Shakespeare
: summon
called to testify in court
call off the dogs
(2) : to cause to come : bring
call a new principle into operation
call to mind the words of his brother
c.
(1) : to summon to a particular activity, employment, or office
called to the presidency of the university
called to active duty in the army
(2) : to move or impel (as by divine influence) to a particular condition or activity
America is called to greatness — A.E.Stevenson b.1900
(3) : to summon (a Jewish male) to read a benediction or a set portion of the Torah before the congregation at public worship in the synagogue
d. : to invite or command (a group) to meet : convoke
call a meeting
e. : to rouse from sleep or summon to get up by a call
f. : to give the order for : bring into action
call a case in court
call a strike
g.
(1) bridge : to make a demand for (a particular card or suit to be played)
(2) poker : to make one's total bet equal to (the preceding bet) or equal to the bet of (the preceding bettor)
(3) : to challenge (a person) to make good on a statement
if he is not telling the truth someone should call him
(4) : to charge with or censure for an offense — often used with on
they called him on his sloppy dress
h. : to decoy (game) by imitating the characteristic cry
i. : to halt (a baseball game or other public event) because of unsuitable conditions (as rain or darkness)
j. : to rule on the status of (as a played ball or a player's action)
call a tennis serve out
call a base runner safe
k. : to give the calls for (a square dance or a square-dance figure) — often used with off
l.
(1) : to communicate with or try to get in communication with (a person) by telephone — sometimes used with up
call me up tomorrow
(2) : to deliver (a message) by telephone
(3) : to make a signal to (an addressee as by transmitting his call sign) to indicate the desire to transmit a message — often used with up
call up the flagship
— compare CQ
m. : to suspend (playing time)
time was called while the field was cleared
n. cricket
(1) : to inform (one's fellow batsman) that it is safe to run
(2) : to inform (a bowler) that a delivery is unfair — used of an umpire
o.
(1) : to demand payment of especially by formal notice
directors called an assessment of 10 percent
(2) : to demand presentation of (an issue of bonds) for redemption and payment
the bonds could be called 10 years after issue
2.
a. : to speak of or address by a specified name
they call her Kitty
: give a name to : name
forces … which Empedocles calls love and hate — Arnold Toynbee
b.
(1) : to give a descriptive name to
the actual price at which any commodity is commonly sold is called its market price — Adam Smith
: regard as or characterize as of a certain kind : describe as : consider
you don't call this keeping what belongs to you — Lillian Hellman
a world where nothing can be called unknowable — W.R.Inge
(2) : estimate : reckon to be
how far would you call it to town
: consider for purposes of an estimate or for convenience
99 cents, call it an even dollar
c. dialect England : scold , revile
d. dialect : to announce or publish as an official notice of intention
when our names have been called in church we can be married
e. South & Midland : mention , speak
called the loved name
carefully refrained from calling his name — Ellen Glasgow
f. : to describe correctly in advance of or without knowledge of the event
he called the upward trend of the market in February
: name or describe in advance : predict , guess
call the toss of a coin wrongly
3. usually ca' ˈkȯ chiefly Scotland
a. : drive
call an animal to market
b. : to drive into place : knock , hammer
c. : propel , run
call some machinery
: use
call an instrument
4. : to pay a brief visit to
I'll call you at your house — Shakespeare
•
- call a spade a spade
- call cousin
- call for
- call in question
- call it a day
- call it quits
- call names
- call on
- call one's bluff
- call one's shot
- call the shots
- call the tune
- call the turn
- call to account
- call to order
- call to the bar
- call to the colors
- call upon
- call within the bar
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from callen, v.
1.
a. : a loud vocal utterance (as in addressing or summoning) : shout , cry
a call for help
b. : an imitation of the cry of a bird or other animal made to decoy it
c. obsolete : a decoy bird
d. : an instrument (as a whistle or pipe) used for calling
a boatswain's call
a duck call
e. : the cry of a bird or other animal
2.
a. : a request or command to come or to assemble : summons , invitation
the council met at the call of the president
b. : a summons or signal especially on a drum, bugle, or pipe
bugle calls were heard in the distance
— compare hunt's-up , reveille
c. : admission to the bar as a barrister
d.
(1) : an invitation to become the minister of a church ; also : the official written form of such an invitation usually signed by members of the congregation
(2) : an invitation to accept a professional appointment
he accepted a call to the state university
e.
(1) : a divine vocation or prompting to a special service or duty
(2) : a strong inner prompting to undertake a particular course of action or to enter a particular type of vocation
f. : a summons, invitation, or appeal to undertake a particular course of action
a call for the restoration of spiritual values
g. : a summoning (as by a posted notice) of actors to rehearsal or members of a film unit to a rehearsal or a take
the call is for 11 o'clock
also : rehearsal
h. : a signal summoning firemen and apparatus into action
a fire call
a drill call
also : the response of men and equipment to such a call
i. : the attraction or appeal of a particular activity, condition, or place
islanders feel strongly the call of the sea
j. : an announcement issued by the national committee of a political party concerning a nominating convention to be held, its date and place, and the rules governing the choosing and apportionment of delegates to it
k. : call of nature
l. : an order specifying the number of men to be inducted into the armed services during a specified period
the November call is for 10,000 men
m. : an order left at a hotel desk setting a specified hour for being wakened
leave a call for 7:30
3.
a. : demand , requirement
maintaining order makes the greatest call on his energies
: claim
the aircraft industry continues to have first call on aluminum production — Americana Annual
b. : necessity , obligation , occasion , justification
there is no call for the federal government to apologize for the views of a private citizen — J.L.Teller
c. : a demand for payment of money: as
(1) : a notice by the United States Treasury to depository banks to transfer a part of its deposit balance to the Federal Reserve bank
(2) : a notice to a stockholder or subscriber to pay an assessment or an installment of subscription to capital
d. : an option to buy a certain amount of stock, grain, or other commodity at a fixed price at or within a certain time — compare put II 3
e. : an instance of asking for something : request
the library has many calls for Christmas stories
4. obsolete : calling 4
5. : a roll call (as to discover absentees or to take the ayes and noes)
the speaker ordered a call of the house
6. : a short usually formal visit
pay a call on a neighbor
: a brief stop in passing (as to conduct business or make a delivery)
a salesman making his calls
7. : the name or thing called or indicated by calling
his call was heads; mine was tails
8. : the act or an instance of calling in a card game
9. : a reference in a land survey or grant to an object, a measurement, or other descriptive detail requiring a corresponding physical detail on the land
10. : the act or an instance of calling on the telephone
11.
a. : call sign
b. : a signal (as a letter or combination of letters) sent by a caller to inform an addressee that the caller has a message to transmit to him — compare CQ
12. : the solo or recitative part of a folk song or rhyme ; especially : the stanza answered by the refrain
the standard West African song pattern of call and response, by a leader and chorus — Roger Angell
13. : the score at any given time while a tennis game is in progress
what's the call , please
14. : a direction or a succession of directions for the next movement or figure of a square dance chanted or rhythmically called to the dancers by a caller
15. : a decision or ruling made by an official of a sports contest
•
- at call
- have the call
- within call
III. transitive verb
1. : to indicate and keep track of balls and strikes in (a baseball game)
2. : to manage (as a team's strategy during a game) by giving the signals or orders
the coach calls every play from the sidelines
3. : to temporarily transfer control of computer processing to (as a subroutine or procedure)
•
- call on
IV. noun
1. : a temporary transfer of control of computer processing to a particular set of instructions (as a subroutine or procedure)
2. : decision
not an easy call for parents to make