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Meaning of call in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /kɔl/

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  1. Verb

    call

    Etymology

    late Old English ceallian, from Old Norse kalla‘summon loudly’

    Definitions

    1. assign a specified, proper name to

    Examples

    • « They named their son David »
    • « The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader »
  2. 2. get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone

    Examples

    • « I tried to call you all night »
    • « Take two aspirin and call me in the morning »
  3. 3. ascribe a quality to or give a name of a common noun that reflects a quality

    Examples

    • « He called me a bastard »
    • « She called her children lazy and ungrateful »
  4. 4. order, request, or command to come

    Examples

    • « She was called into the director's office »
    • « Call the police! »
  5. 5. utter a sudden loud cry

    Examples

    • « she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle »
    • « I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me »
  6. 6. pay a brief visit

    Examples

    • « The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens »
  7. 7. call a meeting

    Examples

    • « invite or command to meet »
    • « The Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the 'Final Solution' »
    • « The new dean calls meetings every week »
  8. 8. order or request or give a command for

    Examples

    • « The unions called a general strike for Sunday »
  9. 9. order, summon, or request for a specific duty or activity, work, role

    Examples

    • « He was already called 4 times for jury duty »
    • « They called him to active military duty »
  10. 10. indicate a decision in regard to

    Examples

    • « call balls and strikes behind the plate »
  11. 11. stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather

    Examples

    • « call a football game »
  12. 12. read aloud to check for omissions or absentees

    Examples

    • « Call roll »
  13. 13. send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.

    Examples

    • « make a signal to in order to transmit a message »
    • « Hawaii is calling! »
    • « A transmitter in Samoa was heard calling »
  14. 14. declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee

    Examples

    • « call a runner out »
  15. 15. utter a characteristic note or cry

    Examples

    • « bluejays called to one another »
  16. 16. utter in a loud voice or announce

    Examples

    • « He called my name »
    • « The auctioneer called the bids »
  17. 17. make a prediction about

    Examples

    • « tell in advance »
    • « Call the outcome of an election »
  18. 18. challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement

    Examples

    • « charge with or censure for an offense »
    • « He deserves to be called on that »
  19. 19. consider or regard as being

    Examples

    • « I would not call her beautiful »
  20. 20. demand payment of (a loan)

    Examples

    • « Call a loan »
  21. 21. give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance
  22. 22. greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name

    Examples

    • « He always addresses me with 'Sir' »
    • « Call me Mister »
    • « She calls him by first name »
  23. 23. make a stop in a harbour

    Examples

    • « The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow »
  24. 24. make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands

    Examples

    • « He called his trump »
  25. 25. require the presentation of for redemption before maturation

    Examples

    • « Call a bond »
  26. 26. lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal

    Examples

    • « Call ducks »
  27. 27. challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of

    Examples

    • « call the speaker on a question of fact »
  28. 28. rouse somebody from sleep with a call

    Examples

    • « I was called at 5 A.M. this morning »
  29. Noun

    call

    Definitions

    1. a telephone connection

    Examples

    • « 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 »
  30. 2. a special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course

    Examples

    • « he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call »
  31. 3. a loud utterance

    Examples

    • « often in protest or opposition »
    • « the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience »
  32. 4. a demand especially in the phrase "the call of duty"
  33. 5. the characteristic sound produced by a bird

    Examples

    • « a bird will not learn its song unless it hears it at an early age »
  34. 6. a brief social visit

    Examples

    • « senior professors' wives no longer make afternoon calls on newcomers »
  35. 7. a demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement
  36. 8. a demand for a show of hands in a card game

    Examples

    • « after two raises there was a call »
  37. 9. a request

    Examples

    • « many calls for Christmas stories »
    • « not many calls for buggywhips »
  38. 10. an instruction that interrupts the program being executed

    Examples

    • « Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed »
  39. 11. brief visit in an official or professional capacity

    Examples

    • « the pastor's visits to his parishioners »
    • « a visit to a dentist »
    • « the salesman's call on a customer »
  40. 12. (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee

    Examples

    • « he was ejected for protesting the call »
  41. 13. the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date

    Antonyms

    • put option
    • put

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