call: Meaning and Definition of

call

Pronunciation: (kôl), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to cry out in a loud voice; shout: He called her name to see if she was home.
  2. to command or request to come; summon: to call a dog; to call a cab; to call a witness.
  3. to ask or invite to come: Will you call the family to dinner?
  4. to communicate or try to communicate with by telephone: Call me when you arrive.
  5. to rouse from sleep, as by a call; waken: Call me at eight o'clock.
  6. to read over (a roll or a list) in a loud voice.
  7. to convoke or convene: to call Congress into session.
  8. to announce authoritatively; proclaim: to call a halt.
  9. to order into effect; establish: to call a strike.
  10. to schedule: to call a rehearsal.
  11. to summon by or as if by divine command: He felt called to the ministry.
  12. to summon to an office, duty, etc.: His country called him to the colors.
  13. to cause to come; bring: to call to mind; to call into existence.
  14. to bring under consideration or discussion: The judge called the case to court.
  15. to attract or lure (birds or animals) by imitating characteristic sounds.
  16. to direct or attract (attention): He called his roommate's attention to the mess.
  17. to name or address (someone) as: His parents named him James, but the boys call him Jim.
  18. to designate as something specified: He called me a liar.
  19. to think of as something specified; consider; estimate: I call that a mean remark.
  20. to demand of (someone) that he or she fulfill a promise, furnish evidence for a statement, etc.: They called him on his story.
  21. to criticize adversely; express disapproval of; censure: She called him on his vulgar language.
  22. to demand payment or fulfillment of (a loan).
  23. to demand presentation of (bonds) for redemption.
  24. to forecast correctly: He has called the outcome of the last three elections.
  25. (of an official) The umpire called the pitch a strike.
    1. to pronounce a judgment on (a shot, pitch, batter, etc.):The umpire called the pitch a strike.
    2. 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.
  26. to name (the ball) one intends to drive into a particular pocket.
  27. (in a computer program) to transfer control of to a procedure or subroutine.
    1. to demand (a card).
    2. to demand the display of a hand by (a player).
    3. Poker.to equal (a bet) or equal the bet made by (the preceding bettor) in a round.
    4. Bridge.to signal one's partner for a lead of (a certain card or suit).
—v.i.
  1. to speak loudly, as to attract attention; shout; cry: She called to the children.
  2. to make a short visit; stop at a place on some errand or business: She called at the store for the package.
  3. to telephone or try to telephone a person: He promised to call at noon.
    1. to demand a card.
    2. to demand a showing of hands.
    3. Poker.to equal a bet.
    4. Bridge.to bid or pass.
  4. (of a bird or animal) to utter its characteristic cry.
  5. to cause to leave or go; summon: A death in the family called him away.
  6. He called back the messenger. The actor was called back for a second audition.
    1. to summon or bring back; recall:He called back the messenger. The actor was called back for a second audition.
    2. to revoke; retract:to call back an accusation.
  7. to call down the wrath of God.
    1. to request or pray for; invoke:to call down the wrath of God.
    2. to reprimand; scold:The boss called us down for lateness.
  8. The occasion calls for a cool head.
    1. to go or come to get; pick up; fetch.
    2. to request; summon.
    3. to require; demand; need:The occasion calls for a cool head.
  9. to summon into action; bring into existence: to call forth her courage and resolve.
  10. to call in gold certificates.
    1. to call for payment; collect.
    2. to withdraw from circulation:to call in gold certificates.
    3. to call upon for consultation; ask for help:Two specialists were called in to assist in the operation.
    4. to inform or report by telephone:Did he call in his decision this morning?
    5. to participate in a radio or television program by telephone.
  11. See(def. 12).
  12. See (def. 13).
  13. Please call off your dog.
    1. to distract; take away:Please call off your dog.
    2. to cancel (something) that had been planned for a certain date:The performance was called off because of rain.
  14. They called on him to represent them.
    1. to ask; appeal to:They called on him to represent them.
    2. to visit for a short time:to call on friends.
  15. Call out the militia!
    1. to speak in a loud voice; shout.
    2. to summon into service or action:Call out the militia!
    3. to bring out; elicit:The emergency called out her hidden abilities.
    4. to direct attention to with a callout:to call out each detail in an illustration.
    5. Informal.to challenge to a fight.
  16. See(def. 38).
  17. A large number of Army reservists were called up.
    1. to bring forward for consideration or discussion.
    2. to cause to remember; evoke.
    3. to communicate or try to communicate with by telephone.
    4. to summon for action or service:A large number of Army reservists were called up.
    5. Computers.to summon (information) from a computer system for display on a video screen:She called up the full text.
—n.
  1. a cry or shout.
  2. the cry or vocal sound of a bird or other animal.
  3. an instrument for imitating this cry and attracting or luring an animal: He bought a duck call.
  4. an act or instance of telephoning: She went into a telephone booth to place her call.
  5. a short visit: to make a call on someone.
  6. a summons or signal sounded by a bugle, bell, etc.: We live so close to the fort that we can hear the bugle calls.
  7. a summons, invitation, or bidding: The students gathered at the call of the dean.
  8. a calling of a roll; roll call.
  9. the fascination or appeal of a given place, vocation, etc.: the call of the sea.
  10. a mystic experience of divine appointment to a vocation or service: He had a call to become a minister.
  11. a request or invitation to become pastor of a church, a professor in a university, etc.
  12. a need or occasion: He had no call to say such outrageous things.
  13. a demand or claim: to make a call on a person's time.
  14. a demand for payment of an obligation, esp. where payment is at the option of the creditor.
    1. a demand for a card or a showing of hands.
    2. Poker.an equaling of the preceding bet.
    3. Bridge.a bid or pass.
  15. a judgment or decision by an umpire, a referee, or other official of a contest, as on a shot, pitch, or batter: The referees were making one bad call after another.
    1. a notice of rehearsal posted by the stage manager.
    2. Seeact call.
    3. Seecurtain call.
  16. a figure or direction in square dancing, announced to the dancers by the caller.
  17. Also calledan option that gives the right to buy a fixed amount of a particular stock at a predetermined price within a given period of time, purchased by a person who believes the price will rise. Cf. put (def. 47).
  18. any of several cries, or sounds made on a horn by the hunter to encourage the hounds.
    1. payable or subject to return without advance notice.
    2. readily available for summoning upon short notice.
  19. to acknowledge the applause of the audience after a performance by appearing for a bow or a curtain call.
  20. within distance or range of being spoken to or summoned: Please stay within call.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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