call

call [kôl]

vt.

[ME callen < Late OE ceallian & or < ON kalla < IE base * gal-, to scream, shriek > Brythonic galw, call, Ger klage & (?) MIr gall, swan]

1. to say or read in a loud tone; shout; announce [to call the names of stations]

2. to command or ask to come; summon [call him to supper]

3. to summon to a specific duty, profession, etc. [the army called him]

4. to convoke judicially or officially [to call a meeting]

5.

a) to give or apply a name to [call the baby Ann]

b) to designate [they called her a cheat]

6. to consider or describe as specified [I call it silly]

7. to direct (attention) to

8. to awaken [call me at six]

9. to communicate with by telephone

10. to give orders for [to call a strike ]

☆ 11. to stop or halt [game called because of rain]

12. to demand or order payment of (a loan or bond issue)

13. to utter or chant directions for (a square dance)

☆ 14. to imitate the sounds of in order to attract (a bird or animal)

15.

a) in pool, to describe (the shot one plans to make)

b) to predict

☆ 16.

a) Poker to equal (the preceding bet) or to equal the bet of (the last previous bettor)

b) to challenge on, or force to account for, something said or done

c) to expose (someone's bluff) by such action

☆ 17. Sports

a) to declare officially to be [the umpire called him out]

b) to invoke (a penalty) against (a player or team)

vi.

1. to speak in a loud tone; shout

2. to utter its characteristic cry, as a bird or animal

3. to visit for a short while: with on or upon

4. to ask that a person do something, esp. speak, as at a meeting: with on or upon

5. to telephone

☆ 6. Poker to equal the last previous bet

n.

1. an act or instance of calling

2. a loud utterance; shout

3.

a) the distinctive cry of an animal or bird

b) a sound made in imitation of such a cry to attract an animal or bird

c) a device that makes such a sound

4.

a) a summons to a meeting, rehearsal, etc.

b) the calling up of a quota of men for military service

5. a signal on a bugle, drum, etc.

6. an act or instance of telephoning

7. an economic demand, as for a product

8. a request [a call for aid]

9. an inner urging toward a certain action or profession, esp. a religious vocation regarded as divinely inspired

10. an invitation to accept a position as a minister, teacher, etc.

11. power to attract or allure [the call of the wild]

12. need; obligation; occasion [no call for tears]

13. an order or demand for payment

14. a brief visit, esp. a formal or professional visit

15. a direction given by a caller of square dances

16. ROLL CALL

17. an option to buy a given quantity of a stock, commodity, etc. at a specified price and within a specified time: calls are purchased in expectation of a rise in price: cf. PUT (n. 2)

18. Bridge a pass, bid, double, or redouble

19.

a) Sports an official's decision or ruling [a good call by the umpire]

b) a decision [“What do you want to do?” “I don't care — it's your call.”]

——————

call back

1. to ask or command to come back

2. to telephone again or in return

3. to ask purchasers to return (an imperfect or dangerous product), often so that a manufacturing defect can be corrected; recall

——————

call down

1. to invoke

☆ 2. Informal to scold sharply; rebuke

——————

called to the bar

Brit. admitted to the practice of law as a barrister

——————

call for

1. to demand; require [an emergency that calls for extreme measures]

2. to come and get; stop for

3. to predict [the forecast calls for snow flurries tonight]

——————

call forth

to bring into action or existence

——————

call in

1. to summon for help or consultation

2. to take out of circulation, as coin or bonds

3. to demand payment of

——————

call into question

to raise a question or doubt about

——————

call off

1. to order away; divert

2. to read aloud in order from a list

3. to cancel (a scheduled event)

——————

call out

1. to speak aloud; shout

2. to summon into action

3. to summon (workers) to strike

——————

call time

Sports to suspend play temporarily

——————

call up

1. to make someone remember; recall [the aroma of freshly baked bread calls up fond memories]

2. to summon, esp. for military duty

3. to telephone

4. to retrieve (data) or access (a file, menu, etc.) and display on a computer screen

——————

on call

1. available when called for or summoned

2. payable on demand

——————

within call

close enough to hear if called

SYN.- CALL, in this comparison, is the basic word signifying to request the presence of someone at some place [he called the waiter over ]; SUMMON, the more formal term, implies authority or peremptoriness in the request [to summon a witness ]; CONVOKE and CONVENE refer to the summoning of a group to assemble as for deliberation or legislation, but CONVOKE implies greater authority or formality [to convene a class, to convoke a congress ]; INVITE suggests a courteous request for someone's presence, esp. as a guest or participant, and usually suggests that the decision to come rests with the invited