ENGLISH THESAURUS & DICTIONARY

call

noun · verb

Words like call

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MEANING & USAGE

Definitions & examples

01noun

a method of contacting a person by phone

“she reported several anonymous calls”

“he placed a phone call to London”

02noun

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

“the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience”

03noun

a demand

04noun

the characteristic sound produced by a bird

“a bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age”

37 more meanings

05noun

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”

06noun

a demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring their margin up to the minimum requirement

07noun

a demand for a show of hands in a card game

“after two raises there was a call”

08noun

a request

“many calls for Christmas stories”

“not many calls for buggywhips”

09noun

an instruction that interrupts the program being executed

“Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed”

10noun

a visit in an official or professional capacity

“the pastor's calls on his parishioners”

“the salesman's call on a customer”

11noun

(sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee

“he was ejected for protesting the call”

12noun

the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date

13noun

a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course

“he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call”

14verb

assign a specified (usually proper) name to

“They named their son David”

“The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader”

15verb

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”

16verb

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”

17verb

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”

18verb

order, request, or command to come

“She was called into the director's office”

“Call the police!”

19verb

pay a brief visit

“The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens”

20verb

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”

21verb

read aloud to check for omissions or absentees

“Call roll”

22verb

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”

23verb

utter a characteristic note or cry

“bluejays called to one another”

24verb

stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather

“call a football game”

25verb

greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name

“He always addresses me with ‘Sir’”

“Call me Mister”

26verb

make a stop in a harbour

“The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow”

27verb

demand payment of (a loan)

“Call a loan”

28verb

make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands

“He called his trump”

29verb

give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance

30verb

indicate a decision in regard to

“call balls and strikes behind the plate”

31verb

make a prediction about; tell in advance

“Call the outcome of an election”

32verb

present for redemption before maturation

“Call a bond”

33verb

challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense

“He deserves to be called on that”

34verb

declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee

“call a runner out”

35verb

lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal

“Call ducks”

36verb

order or request or give a command for

“The unions called a general strike for Sunday”

37verb

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”

38verb

utter in a loud voice or announce

“He called my name”

“The auctioneer called the bids”

39verb

challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of

“call the speaker on a question of fact”

40verb

consider or regard as being

“I would not call her beautiful”

41verb

rouse somebody from sleep with a call

“I was called at 5 A.M. this morning”

Meanings and examples from Open English WordNet 2025. About our sources ↗

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Expressions with “call”

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