call
verb (used with object)
- to pronounce a judgment on (a shot, pitch, batter, etc.): The umpire called the pitch a strike.
- to put an end to (a contest) because of inclement weather, poor field conditions, etc.: A sudden downpour forced the umpire to call the game.
- to demand (a card).
- to demand the display of a hand by (a player).
- Poker. to equal (a bet) or equal the bet made by (the preceding bettor) in a round.
- Bridge. to signal one's partner for a lead of (a certain card or suit).
verb (used without object)
- to demand a card.
- to demand a showing of hands.
- Poker. to equal a bet.
- Bridge. to bid or pass.
noun
- a demand for a card or a showing of hands.
- Poker. an equaling of the preceding bet.
- Bridge. a bid or pass.
- a notice of rehearsal posted by the stage manager.
- act call.
- curtain call.
Verb Phrases
- to summon or bring back; recall: He called back the messenger. The actor was called back for a second audition.
- to revoke; retract: to call back an accusation.
- to request or pray for; invoke: to call down the wrath of God.
- to reprimand; scold: The boss called us down for lateness.
- to go or come to get; pick up; fetch.
- to request; summon.
- to require; demand; need: The occasion calls for a cool head.
- to call for payment; collect.
- to withdraw from circulation: to call in gold certificates.
- to call upon for consultation; ask for help: Two specialists were called in to assist in the operation.
- to inform or report by telephone: Did he call in his decision this morning?
- to participate in a radio or television program by telephone.
- to distract; take away: Please call off your dog.
- to cancel (something) that had been planned for a certain date: The performance was called off because of rain.
- to ask; appeal to: They called on him to represent them.
- to visit for a short time: to call on friends.
- to speak in a loud voice; shout.
- to summon into service or action: Call out the militia!
- to bring out; elicit: The emergency called out her hidden abilities.
- to direct attention to with a callout: to call out each detail in an illustration.
- Informal. to challenge to a fight.
- to bring forward for consideration or discussion.
- to cause to remember; evoke.
- to communicate or try to communicate with by telephone.
- to summon for action or service: A large number of Army reservists were called up.
- Computers. to summon (information) from a computer system for display on a video screen: She called up the full text.
Idioms for call
- payable or subject to return without advance notice.
- readily available for summoning upon short notice.
Origin of call
synonym study for call
OTHER WORDS FROM call
un·called, adjective well-called, adjectiveWords nearby call
Example sentences from the Web for call
Note: UNICOR uses its inmates for everything from call center operators to human demolishers of old computers.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’ |Michael Howard |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEASTThis is the Mexico that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and most major U.S. corporations, are eager to call amigo.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting |Ruben Navarrette Jr. |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEASTAl Qaeda has never managed to carve out a large chunk of real estate to call its own—in Afghanistan it was a guest of the Taliban.
Who else would see a former spouse accused of underage sex and call him ‘the greatest man there is’?
“Call me when the plane leaves the ground,” she said, in a tone that implied she knew her husband well.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82 |Eleanor Clift |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEASTYou may call it sentimentality or any other nickname you like.
The Woman in Black |Edmund Clerihew BentleyThe next time I went out with apples, two sheep came to my call.
Sometimes an umpire who has been good will go into a long slump when he cannot call things right and knows it.
Pitching in a Pinch |Christy MathewsonHe will be at church this afternoon; so, suppose you call here at nine this evening.
For a man to call himself a Christian Evolutionist is (we have been told by high Orthodox authority) a contradiction in terms.
The Arena |Various
British Dictionary definitions for call
verb
- to requirethis problem calls for study
- to come or go (for) in order to fetchI will call for my book later
noun
- an imitation of the characteristic cry of a wild animal or bird to lure it to the hunter
- an instrument for producing such an imitation
- a demand for repayment of a loan
- (as modifier)call money
- a demand for redeemable bonds or shares to be presented for repayment
- a demand for an instalment payment on the issue price of bonds or shares
- (of a loan, etc) repayable on demand
- available to be called for work outside normal working hours
Word Origin for call
Idioms and Phrases with call
In addition to the idioms beginning with call
- call a halt
- call a spade a spade
- call back
- call down
- call for
- call in
- call in question
- call in sick
- call it a day
- call it quits
- call names
- call of duty
- call off
- call of nature
- call on
- call one's own
- call on the carpet
- call out
- call someone's bluff
- call the shots
- call the tune
- call to account
- call to mind
- call to order
- call up
- call upon
also see:
- above and beyond (the call of duty)
- at someone's beck and call
- close call
- dressing (calling) down
- no call for
- on call
- pay a call
- pot calling the kettle black
- too close to call
- uncalled for
- wake-up call
- within call