Call Definition
call
noun
- 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"
- a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course; "he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call"
- a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition; "the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience"
- a demand especially in the phrase "the call of duty"
- the characteristic sound produced by a bird; "a bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age"
- a brief social visit; "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"
- a demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement
- a demand for a show of hands in a card game; "after two raises there was a call"
- a request; "many calls for Christmas stories"; "not many calls for buggywhips"
- an instruction that interrupts the program being executed; "Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed"
- a visit in an official or professional capacity; "the pastor's calls on his parishioners"; "the salesman's call on a customer"
- (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee; "he was ejected for protesting the call"
- the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
verb
- assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to; "They named their son David"; "The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader"
- 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"
- 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"
- 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"
- order, request, or command to come; "She was called into the director's office"; "Call the police!"
- pay a brief visit; "The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens"
- 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"
- read aloud to check for omissions or absentees; "Call roll"
- 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"
- utter a characteristic note or cry; "bluejays called to one another"
- stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather; "call a football game"
- greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name; "He always addresses me with `Sir'"; "Call me Mister"; "She calls him by first name"
- make a stop in a harbour; "The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow"
- demand payment of (a loan); "Call a loan"
- make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands; "He called his trump"
- give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance
- indicate a decision in regard to; "call balls and strikes behind the plate"
- make a prediction about; tell in advance; "Call the outcome of an election"
- require the presentation of for redemption before maturation; "Call a bond"
- challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense; "He deserves to be called on that"
- declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee; "call a runner out"
- lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal; "Call ducks"
- order or request or give a command for; "The unions called a general strike for Sunday"
- 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"
- utter in a loud voice or announce; "He called my name"; "The auctioneer called the bids"
- challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of; "call the speaker on a question of fact"
- consider or regard as being; "I would not call her beautiful"
- rouse somebody from sleep with a call; "I was called at 5 A.M. this morning"
"Call" in song lyrics
See how call is used in real songs:
-
"So I got the black book for a freak to call"
2 Live Crew — Me So Horny -
"Lipstick on the quill, a digit to call"
3rd Bass — Monte Hall -
"Wake up you blackhead and heed the call"
3rd Bass — No Static at All
Words that rhyme with call
Usage tips for "call"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "call" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for call to find words that pair well.