Definition Definition

call - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'call' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Call [ n.]
- The act of calling; -- usually with the voice, but often otherwise, as by signs, the sound of some instrument, or by writing; a summons; an entreaty; an invitation; as, a call for help; the bugle's call.
- A signal, as on a drum, bugle, trumpet, or pipe, to summon soldiers or sailors to duty.
- An invitation to take charge of or serve a church as its pastor.
- A requirement or appeal arising from the circumstances of the case; a moral requirement or appeal.
- A divine vocation or summons.
- Vocation; employment.
- A short visit; as, to make a call on a neighbor; also, the daily coming of a tradesman to solicit orders.
- A note blown on the horn to encourage the hounds.
- A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to duty.
- The cry of a bird; also a noise or cry in imitation of a bird; or a pipe to call birds by imitating their note or cry.
- A reference to, or statement of, an object, course, distance, or other matter of description in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a corresponding object, etc., on the land.
- The privilege to demand the delivery of stock, grain, or any commodity, at a fixed, price, at or within a certain time agreed on.
- See Assessment, 4.
2 . Call [ v. i.]
- To speak in loud voice; to cry out; to address by name; -- sometimes with to.
- To make a demand, requirement, or request.
- To make a brief visit; also, to stop at some place designated, as for orders.
3 . Call [ v. t.]
- To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant.
- To summon to the discharge of a particular duty; to designate for an office, or employment, especially of a religious character; -- often used of a divine summons; as, to be called to the ministry; sometimes, to invite; as, to call a minister to be the pastor of a church.
- To invite or command to meet; to convoke; -- often with together; as, the President called Congress together; to appoint and summon; as, to call a meeting of the Board of Aldermen.
- To give name to; to name; to address, or speak of, by a specifed name.
- To regard or characterize as of a certain kind; to denominate; to designate.
- To state, or estimate, approximately or loosely; to characterize without strict regard to fact; as, they call the distance ten miles; he called it a full day's work.
- To show or disclose the class, character, or nationality of.
- To utter in a loud or distinct voice; -- often with off; as, to call, or call off, the items of an account; to call the roll of a military company.
- To invoke; to appeal to.
- To rouse from sleep; to awaken.

Meaning of 'call' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . call [ n]
Meaning (1):
- the characteristic sound produced by a bird
Example in sentence:
  • a bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age
Meaning (2):
- a demand for a show of hands in a card game
Example in sentence:
  • after two raises there was a call
Meaning (3):
- a telephone connection
Example in sentence:
  • he heard the phone ringing but didn't want to take the call;
  • he placed a phone call to London;
  • she reported several anonymous calls
Meaning (4):
- a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course
Example in sentence:
  • he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call
Meaning (5):
- (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee
Example in sentence:
  • he was ejected for protesting the call
Meaning (6):
- a request
Example in sentence:
  • many calls for Christmas stories;
  • not many calls for buggywhips
Meaning (7):
- an instruction that interrupts the program being executed
Example in sentence:
  • Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed
Meaning (8):
- a brief social visit
Example in sentence:
  • senior professors' wives no longer make afternoon calls on newcomers;
  • the characters in Henry James' novels are forever paying calls on each other, usually in the parlor of some residence
Meaning (9):
- a demand especially in the phrase
Example in sentence:
  • the call of duty
Meaning (10):
- a visit in an official or professional capacity
Example in sentence:
  • the pastor's calls on his parishioners;
  • the salesman's call on a customer
Meaning (11):
- a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
Example in sentence:
  • the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience
12 . call [ v]
Meaning (12):
- send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a message
Example in sentence:
  • A transmitter in Samoa was heard calling;
  • Hawaii is calling!
Meaning (13):
- utter a characteristic note or cry
Example in sentence:
  • bluejays called to one another
Meaning (14):
- require the presentation of for redemption before maturation
Example in sentence:
  • Call a bond
Meaning (15):
- stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather
Example in sentence:
  • call a football game
Meaning (16):
- demand payment of (a loan)
Example in sentence:
  • Call a loan
Meaning (17):
- declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee
Example in sentence:
  • call a runner out
Meaning (18):
- indicate a decision in regard to
Example in sentence:
  • call balls and strikes behind the plate
Meaning (19):
- lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal
Example in sentence:
  • Call ducks
Meaning (20):
- greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name
Example in sentence:
  • Call me Mister;
  • He always addresses me with `Sir';
  • She calls him by first name
Meaning (21):
- read aloud to check for omissions or absentees
Example in sentence:
  • Call roll
Meaning (22):
- make a prediction about; tell in advance
Example in sentence:
  • Call the outcome of an election
Meaning (23):
- order, request, or command to come
Example in sentence:
  • Call the police!;
  • She was called into the director's office
Meaning (24):
- challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of
Example in sentence:
  • call the speaker on a question of fact
Meaning (25):
- make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands
Example in sentence:
  • He called his trump
Meaning (26):
- ascribe a quality to or give a name of a common noun that reflects a quality
Example in sentence:
  • He called me a bastard;
  • She called her children lazy and ungrateful
Meaning (27):
- utter in a loud voice or announce
Example in sentence:
  • He called my name;
  • The auctioneer called the bids
Meaning (28):
- challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense
Example in sentence:
  • He deserves to be called on that
Meaning (29):
- order, summon, or request for a specific duty or activity, work, role
Example in sentence:
  • He was already called 4 times for jury duty;
  • They called him to active military duty
Meaning (30):
- get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
Example in sentence:
  • I tried to call you all night;
  • Take two aspirin and call me in the morning
Meaning (31):
- rouse somebody from sleep with a call
Example in sentence:
  • I was called at 5 A.M. this morning
Meaning (32):
- consider or regard as being
Example in sentence:
  • I would not call her beautiful
Meaning (33):
- utter a sudden loud cry
Example in sentence:
  • I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me;
  • she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle
Meaning (34):
- pay a brief visit
Example in sentence:
  • The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens
Meaning (35):
- call a meeting; invite or command to meet
Example in sentence:
  • The new dean calls meetings every week;
  • The Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the `Final Solution'
Meaning (36):
- assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
Example in sentence:
  • The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader;
  • They named their son David
Meaning (37):
- make a stop in a harbour
Example in sentence:
  • The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow
Meaning (38):
- order or request or give a command for
Example in sentence:
  • The unions called a general strike for Sunday

Nearby Words:

cal calabar calabarine calabash calaboose calade caladium calaite calamanco calamander wood

See 'call' also in:

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