Call
English Meaning
To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant.
- To say in a loud voice; announce: called my name from across the street; calling out numbers.
- To demand or ask for the presence of: called the children to dinner; call the police.
- To demand or ask for a meeting of; convene or convoke: call the legislature into session.
- To order or request to undertake a particular activity or work; summon: She was called for jury duty. He was called to the priesthood.
- To give the command for; order: call a work stoppage.
- To communicate or try to communicate with by telephone: called me at nine.
- To dial (a telephone number): call 911 for help.
- To lure (prey) by imitating the characteristic cry of an animal: call ducks.
- To cause to come to the mind or to attention: a story that calls to mind an incident in my youth.
- To name: What will you call the baby?
- To consider or regard as being of a particular type or kind; characterize: Let's call the game a draw. I'd hardly call him a good manager.
- To designate; label: Nobody calls me a liar.
- To demand payment of: call a loan.
- To require the presentation of (a bond) for redemption before maturity.
- To force the sale of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a call option.
- Sports To stop or postpone (a game) because of bad weather, darkness, or other adverse conditions.
- Sports To declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee: call a runner out; call a penalty for holding.
- Sports To indicate a decision in regard to: calling balls and strikes; called a close play at home plate.
- Sports To give the orders or signals for: a quarterback who called a poor play.
- Games To describe the intended outcome of (one's billiard shot) before playing.
- Games To equal the bet of (the preceding bet or bettor) in a poker game.
- To indicate or characterize accurately in advance; predict: It is often difficult to call the outcome of an election. See Synonyms at predict.
- To challenge the truthfulness or genuineness of: called the debater on a question of fact.
- To shout directions in rhythm for (a square dance).
- To speak loudly; shout: a swimmer who was calling for help.
- To utter a characteristic cry. Used of an animal: geese calling in early morning.
- To communicate or try to communicate with someone by telephone: I called twice, but no one answered.
- To pay a short visit: We called to pay our respects. He called on the neighbors but they weren't home.
- A loud cry; a shout.
- The characteristic cry of an animal.
- A sound or an instrument made to imitate such a cry, used as a lure: a moose call.
- A telephone communication or connection.
- Need or occasion: There was no call for an apology.
- Demand: There isn't much call for buggy whips today.
- A claim on a person's time or life: the call of duty.
- A short visit, especially one made as a formality or for business or professional purposes.
- A summons or invitation.
- A signal, such as that made by a horn or bell.
- The sounding of a horn to encourage hounds during a hunt.
- A strong inner urge or prompting; a vocation: a call to the priesthood.
- The strong attraction or appeal of a given activity or environment: the call of the wild; answered the call of the desert.
- A roll call.
- A notice of rehearsal times posted in a theater.
- Sports A decision made by an umpire or referee.
- Sports An announced description of a game or race, as by a sportscaster.
- A direction or series of directions rhythmically called out to square dancers.
- A demand for payment of a debt.
- A demand to submit bonds to the issuer for redemption before the maturity date.
- An option to buy a certain quantity of a stock or commodity for a specified price within a specified time.
- A demand for payment due on stock bought on margin when the value has shrunk.
- call back To communicate the need for (someone) to return from one situation or location to a previous one: Management called the laid-off workers back.
- call back To telephone or radio (a person) who has called previously: I called her back at noon.
- call back To recall (a defective product) for repair: The company has called back all such models built in 1990.
- call down To find fault with; reprimand: The teacher called me down for disobedience.
- call down To invoke, as from heaven.
- call for To appear, as on someone else's premises, in order to get: My chauffeur will call for you at seven.
- call for To be an appropriate occasion for: This news calls for champagne.
- call for To require; demand: work that calls for patience.
- call forth To evoke; elicit: a love song that calls forth sad memories.
- call in To take out of circulation: calling in silver dollars.
- call in To summon for assistance or consultation: call in a specialist.
- call in To communicate with another by telephone: Has the boss called in today?
- call off To cancel or postpone: call off a trip; called the trip off.
- call off To restrain or recall: Call off your dogs.
- call on To order or request to undertake a particular activity: called on our friends to help.
- call out To cause to assemble; summon: call out the guard.
- call out To challenge to a duel.
- call up To summon to active military service: called up reserve troops for active duty.
- call up To cause one to remember; bring to mind: stories that call up old times.
- call up To bring forth for action or discussion; raise.
- call upon To order; require: I call upon you to tell the truth.
- call upon To make a demand or a series of demands on: Social institutions are now being called upon to provide assistance to the homeless.
- call a spade a spade To speak directly, precisely, and forthrightly.
- in To raise doubts about.
- call it a day Informal To stop what one has been doing, for the remainder of the day or at least for the present.
- call it a night Informal To stop what one has been doing, for the remainder of the night.
- call it quits Informal To stop working or trying; quit.
- call names To speak to or about another in offensive terms.
- call of nature A need to urinate or defecate. Often used with answer: He left the room to answer the call of nature.
- call (someone's) bluff To challenge another with a display of strength or confidence.
- shots Informal To exercise authority; be in charge.
- on call Available when summoned for service or use: physicians who were on call for 48 hours.
- on call Subject to payment on demand.
- within call Close enough to come if summoned: The nurse is within call if you need him.