Dictionary Definition
call
Noun
1 a telephone connection; "she reported several
anonymous calls"; "he placed a phone call to London"; "he heard the
phone ringing but didn't want to take the call" [syn: phone call,
telephone
call]
2 a special disposition (as if from a divine
source) to pursue a particular course; "he was disappointed that he
had not heard the Call"
3 a loud utterance; often in protest or
opposition; "the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the
rear of the audience" [syn: cry, outcry, yell, shout, vociferation]
4 a demand especially in the phrase "the call of
duty" [syn: claim]
5 the characteristic sound produced by a bird; "a
bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age"
[syn: birdcall,
birdsong, song]
6 a brief social visit; "senior professors' wives
no longer make afternoon calls on newcomers"
7 a demand by a broker that a customer deposit
enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement [syn:
margin
call]
8 a demand for a show of hands in a card game;
"after two raises there was a call"
9 a request; "many calls for Christmas stories";
"not many calls for buggywhips"
10 an instruction that interrupts the program
being executed; "Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of
the routine to be executed"
11 brief visit in an official or professional
capacity; "the pastor's visits to his parishioners"; "a visit to a
dentist"; "the salesman's call on a customer"
12 (sports) the decision made by an umpire or
referee; "he was ejected for protesting the call"
13 the option to buy a given stock (or stock
index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
[syn: call option]
[ant: put
option]
Verb
1 assign a specified, proper name to; "They named
their son David"; "The new school was named after the famous Civil
Rights leader" [syn: name]
2 get or try to get into communication (with
someone) by telephone; "I tried to call you all night"; "Take two
aspirin and call me in the morning" [syn: telephone, call up, phone, ring]
3 ascribe a quality to or give a name of a common
noun that reflects a quality; "He called me a bastard"; "She called
her children lazy and ungrateful"
4 order, request, or command to come; "She was
called into the director's office"; "Call the police!" [syn:
send
for]
5 utter a sudden loud cry; "she cried with pain
when the doctor inserted the needle"; "I yelled to her from the
window but she couldn't hear me" [syn: shout, shout out,
cry, yell, scream, holler, hollo, squall]
6 pay a brief visit; "The mayor likes to call on
some of the prominent citizens" [syn: visit, call in]
7 call a meeting; invite or command to meet; "The
Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the `Final Solution'";
"The new dean calls meetings every week"
8 order or request or give a command for; "The
unions called a general strike for Sunday"
9 order, summon, or request for a specific duty
or activity, work, role; "He was already called 4 times for jury
duty"; "They called him to active military duty"
10 indicate a decision in regard to; "call balls
and strikes behind the plate"
11 stop or postpone because of adverse
conditions, such as bad weather; "call a football game"
12 read aloud to check for omissions or
absentees; "Call roll"
13 send a message or attempt to reach someone by
radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a
message; "Hawaii is calling!"; "A transmitter in Samoa was heard
calling"
14 declare in the capacity of an umpire or
referee; "call a runner out"
15 utter a characteristic note or cry; "bluejays
called to one another"
16 utter in a loud voice or announce; "He called
my name"; "The auctioneer called the bids"
17 make a prediction about; tell in advance;
"Call the outcome of an election" [syn: predict, foretell, prognosticate, forebode, anticipate, promise]
18 challenge (somebody) to make good on a
statement; charge with or censure for an offense; "He deserves to
be called on that"
19 consider or regard as being; "I would not call
her beautiful"
20 demand payment of (a loan); "Call a loan"
[syn: call
in]
21 give the calls (to the dancers) for a square
dance [syn: call off]
22 greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or
name; "He always addresses me with `Sir'"; "Call me Mister"; "She
calls him by first name" [syn: address]
23 make a stop in a harbour; "The ship will call
in Honolulu tomorrow"
24 make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a
show of hands; "He called his trump" [syn: bid]
25 require the presentation of for redemption
before maturation; "Call a bond"
26 lure by imitating the characteristic call of
an animal; "Call ducks"
27 challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of;
"call the speaker on a question of fact"
28 rouse somebody from sleep with a call; "I was
called at 5 A.M. this morning"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
- Old English ceallian
- Old Norse kalla.
Pronunciation
- /kɔːɫ/, /kO:5/
- Rhymes: -ɔːl
Noun
- A telephone conversation.
- I received several phone calls today.
- I received several calls today.
- I received several phone calls today.
- A social visit.
- I paid a call to a dear friend of mine.
- A cry or shout.
- He heard a call from the other side of the room.
- The characteristic cry
of a bird.
- That sound is the distinctive call of the cuckoo bird.
- A beckoning or
summoning.
- I had to yield to the call of the wild.
- : A contract to buy stock (See stock_option for further reading); compare put.
- The act of calling to the other batsman.
- The state of being the batsman whose role it is to call (depends on where the ball goes.)
- An overnight duty in the hospital.
- The act of jumping to a subprogram, saving the means to return to the point.
- A statement of a particular state, or rule, made in many games such as
bridge, craps, jacks, and so on.
- There was a 20 dollar bet on the table, and my call was 9.
Translations
telephone conversation
- Czech: hovor
- Esperanto: voko
- Finnish: soitto, puhelinsoitto
- French: appel
- German: Anruf
- Greek: κλήση τηλεφωνική , τηλεφώνημα
- Hebrew: צלצול (tziltzul)
- Italian: telefonata, chiamata
- Japanese: 呼び出し, よびだし (yobidashi); 通話, つうわ (tsūwa)
- Korean: 전화 (電話, jeonhwa), 통화 (通話, tonghwa)
- Portuguese: telefonema
- Romanian: chemare
- Romansch: telefon
- Russian: звонок
- Slovene: klic
- Spanish: llamada
- Swedish: telefonsamtal
- Turkish: çağrı
social visit
cry or shout
characteristic cry of a bird
beckoning or summoning
- Czech: volání
- Finnish: kutsu, kutsuhuuto
- French: appel
- German: Ruf
- Hebrew: קריאה (qri'a)
- Italian: richiamo
- Japanese: 呼び出し, よびだし (yobidashi)
- Korean: 부름 (bureum)
- Portuguese: chamada
- Russian: зов (zov)
- Slovene: klic
- Spanish: convocatoria
- Swahili: mwito
(finance): contract to buy stock
Verb
- To request, summon,
or beckon.
- That person is hurt, call for help!
- To cry or shout.
- I can't see you. Call out to me so I can find you.
- To contact by telephone.
- Why don't you call me in the morning.
- To pay a social visit.
- We could always call on a friend.
- To name or refer to.
- Why don't we dispense with the formalities. Please call me Al.
- (reflexively: to be called) Of a person, to have as one's name;
of a thing, to have as its name.
- I'm called John.
- A very tall building is called a skyscraper.
- I'm called John.
- (of a batsman): To shout directions to the other batsman on whether or not they shoud take a run.
- (of a fielder): To shout to other fielders that he intends to take a catch (thus avoiding collisions.)
- : To match or equal the amount of poker chips in the pot as the player that bet.
- (with an object preceded by the preposition for) To require, demand.
- This job calls for patience.
- To state, or invoke a
rule, in many games such as
bridge, craps, jacks, and so on.
- My partner called 2 spades.
Derived terms
- call back
- call down
- call girl
- call in
- calling
- call off
- call of nature
- call of the wild
- call on
- call out
- call round
- call time
- call up
- cat call
- courtesy call
- phone call
- roll call
- telephone call
- wake-up call
Translations
to request, summon, or beckon
- Arabic: سَمَّى
- Croatian: zvati
- Dutch: roepen
- Esperanto: voki
- Finnish: kutsua
- Flemish: roepen
- German: rufen, anrufen, herbeirufen
- Hebrew: לקרוא (liqro)
- Hindi: बुला (bulānā)
- Hungarian: hív
- Ido: vokar
- Japanese: 呼ぶ, よぶ
- Korean: 불러내다 (bulleonaeda)
- Latin: vocō
- Portuguese: chamar
- Romanian: chema
- Romansch: clamar
- Russian: звать (zvat') , позвать (pozvát') , вызвать (výzvat') , вызывать (vyzyvát')
- Sanskrit: आव्हे (āvhe)
- Slovak: volať
- Slovene: poklicati
- Spanish: llamar
- Swahili: kuita
- Swedish: kalla, ropa
- Telugu: పిలుపు (pilupu)
- Turkish: aramak
to cry or shout
- Dutch: schreeuwen
- German: rufen
- Hebrew: לקרוא (liqro)
- Hungarian: kiált
- Japanese: 叫ぶ, さけぶ
- Korean: 소리치다 (sorichida), 외치다 (oechida)
- Portuguese: gritar
- Romanian: striga
- Romansch: cridar
- Russian: кричать (kričát') , крикнуть (kríknut')
- Slovene: poklicati
- Spanish: gritar
- Swahili: kuita
- Swedish: ropa, hojta
to contact by telephone
- Czech: volat, zavolat
- Dutch: opbellen
- Finnish: soittaa (puhelimella)
- German: anrufen, telefonieren
- Hebrew: לצלצל (le'tzaltzel)
- Hungarian: felhív
- Japanese: 電話する, でんわする (denwasuru)
- Portuguese: telefonar
- Romanian: telefona, suna
- Russian: звонить (zvonít') , позвонить (pozvonít')
- Slovene: poklicati
- Spanish: llamar
- Swahili: kupiga simu
- Swedish: ringa, telefonera
to pay a social visit
to name or refer to
to be called
to shout directions to the other batsman on
whether or not they shoud take a run
to shout to other fielders that he intends to
take a catch thus avoiding collisions
to match or equal the amount of poker chips in
the pot as the player that bet
to require, demand
to state, or invoke a rule, in many games such
as bridge, craps, jacks, and so on
Extensive Definition
Call may mean:
- Call (telecommunications)
- Telephone call
- Call option or "call", in finance, gives its owner the right to buy stock at a specified price in the future
- Computer-assisted language learning (CALL)
- Center for Anglican Learning & Leadership (CALL)
- Procedure call or subroutine in computer software
- Bird call, a shorter staccato passage of a bird song
- Caller (dancing), a command to execute a dance step
- Call (Pakistani band), a Pakistani alternative rock band
- System call, the mechanism used by an application program to request service from the operating system
- Call, to match a bet or raise in a game of poker
- Slang term to stake a claim on something
- In theater, a call time
- In health care and other professions which require 24 hour availability, a person who is required to be available for emergency calls is said to be "on call". When also required to remain on the premises during this time, the individual may find time to sleep in the "on call room".
- Ann Lowdon Call
- Annie Payson Call
- Brandon Call
- Ramón Malla Call
- R. D. Call
- Richard K. Call
- Wilkinson Call
call in German: Call
call in Japanese: コール
call in Norwegian Nynorsk: Call
call in Polish: Call
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Angelus, Angelus bell, DDD, accompany, address, adjuration, adumbrate, alarm, alarum, allurement, animal noise,
ante, ante up, antecedents, apostleship, apostrophize, appeal, appeal to, appraise, appreciate, approximate, ask, ask for, assemble, assess, attend, attractiveness, augur, awake, awaken, back, baptize, bark, barking, base, basis, battle cry, bawl, bay, beck, beck and call, bell, bellow, beseechment, bet, bet on, bid, bid come, biddance, bidding, bill, birdcall, blackmail, blare, blat, blate, bleat, bray, bugle call, busy signal,
buzz, cackle, call, call away, call back, call
down, call for, call forth, call in, call off, call on, call out,
call together, call up, call upon, call-up, calling, calling forth, cancel, care of souls, carol, cast lots, castigate, caterwaul, causation, cause, cause and effect, caw, challenge, chastise, chatter, cheep, cheer, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, christen, chuck, cite, clack, claim, clamor, clang, class, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, collect, come by, come over,
command, compulsory
military service, conjure, conjure up, conscript, conscription, contribution, convene, convocation, convoke, coo, cover, croak, cronk, crow, cry, cry out, cuckoo, cut lots, cut the cards,
define, demand, demand for, demand
payment, denominate,
denote, designate, determinant, determinative, dial, dial tone, direct distance
dialing, discontinue, draft, draft call, drafting, drain, draw, draw lots, draw on, draw
straws, drawing power, drop in, drum, dub, dun, duty, duty visit, element, elicit, engraved invitation,
enlist, enlistment, enrollment, entitle, entreat, entreaty, estimate, etiology, evaluate, evocation, evoke, exact, exaction, excuse, extortion, extortionate
demand, factor, fade, fetch, figure, forecast, form an estimate,
formal visit, foundation, gabble, gaggle, gamble, game, gather, gauge, get, give a ring, give an
appreciation, give tongue, give voice, gobble, good reason, ground, grounds, grunt, guess, guggle, hail, halloo, hang up, hazard, heavy demand, hold the
phone, holler, hollo, holy orders, honk, hoo, hoot, howl, howling, hurrah, identify, imploration, imploring, imposition, impost, imprecation, impressment, indent, induction, insistent demand,
inspire, invitation, invite, invocation, invocatory plea,
invoice, invoke, issue an invitation,
judge, justification, knock up,
label, last post, lay, lay a wager, lay down, levy, listen in, local call, long
distance, long-distance call, look in, look up, lot, low, lure, mad round, make a bet, make a
call, make an estimation, mark, match coins, material basis,
mating call, measure,
meet a bet, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, mobile call, mobilization, moo, moose call, muster, muster up, name, necessity, need, neigh, nicker, nickname, nod, nonnegotiable demand, note, notice, notification, obligation, obsecration, obtestation, occasion, on call, on duty,
option, order, order up, page, parlay, pass, pastorage, pastoral care,
pastorate, peep, person-to-person call,
petition, phone, phone call, pick up,
pip, pipe, place, play, play against, play at dice,
play the ponies, plea,
plunge, pop in, portend, postpone, postulate, prayer, preconization, preconize, predict, presage, press, priesthood, priestship, principle, prize, prognosticate, prophesy, pule, pull, punt, put, put and call, quack, rabbinate, raffle off,
rally, rallying cry,
rank, rate, ready, reason, rebel yell, rebuke, recall, reckon, recruit, recruiting, recruitment, reprimand, reprove, request, require, required visit,
requirement,
requisition,
reveille, right, ring, ring off, ring up, roar, rogation, roll, round up, rouse, run in, rush, rush order, sacred calling,
scold, screak, scream, screech, seduction, see, selective service, send a
statement, send after, send for, serve, shoot craps, shout, shriek, shrill, sing, social call, social round,
social whirl, solicit,
song, specify, speculate, sport, spread, squall, squawk, squeak, squeal, stake, stand pat,
station-to-station call, stimulus, stock option,
straddle, strap, stridulation, strip, style, subpoena, substance, suit, summon, summon forth, summon up,
summons, supplicate, supplication, tag, taps, tax, taxing, telephone, telephone call,
term, the church, the
cloth, the desk, the ministry, the pulpit, tinkle, title, toll call, toss, tribute, trill, troat, trumpet call, tweet, twit, twitter, ultimatum, ululate, ululation, upbraid, valuate, value, vaticinate, visit, visitation, visiting, vocation, vociferate, wager, wail, wake up, war cry, war whoop,
warble, warning, warrant, whicker, whine, whinny, whistle, whoop, within call, woodnote, yammer, yap, yawl, yawp, yell, yelp, yip, yo-ho, yowl