call
pronunciation
How to pronounce call in British English:
UK [kɔːl]
How to pronounce call in American English:
US [ kɔːl]
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- Noun:
- a telephone connection
- a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
- a demand especially in the phrase "the call of duty"
- the characteristic sound produced by a bird
- a brief social visit
- 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
- a request
- an instruction that interrupts the program being executed
- brief visit in an official or professional capacity
- (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee
- the option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
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- Verb:
- assign a specified, proper name to
- get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
- ascribe a quality to or give a name of a common noun that reflects a quality
- order, request, or command to come
- utter a sudden loud cry
- pay a brief visit
- call a meeting; invite or command to meet
- order or request or give a command for
- order, summon, or request for a specific duty or activity, work, role
- indicate a decision in regard to
- stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather
- read aloud to check for omissions or absentees
- send a message or attempt to reach someone by radio, phone, etc.; make a signal to in order to transmit a message
- declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee
- utter a characteristic note or cry
- utter in a loud voice or announce
- make a prediction about; tell in advance
- challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense
- consider or regard as being
- demand payment of (a loan)
- give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance
- greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name
- make a stop in a harbour
- make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands
- require the presentation of for redemption before maturation
- lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal
- challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of
- rouse somebody from sleep with a call
Word Origin
- call
- call: [OE] Essentially, call is a Scandinavian word, although it does occur once in an Old English text, the late 10th-century Battle of Maldon. It was borrowed from Old Norse kalla, which can be traced back via West and North Germanic *kal- to an Indo-European base *gol- (among other derivatives of this is Serbo-Croat glagól ‘word’, source of Glagolitic, a term for an early Slavic alphabet).
- call (v.)
- Old English ceallian "to call, shout," less common than clipian; replaced by related Old Norse kalla "to cry loudly," from Proto-Germanic *kall- (cognates: Dutch kallen "to talk," Old High German kallon "to call"), from PIE root *gal- (2) "to call, scream, shriek, shout" (cognates: Sanskrit garhati "bewail, criticize;" Latin gallus "cock;" Old High German klaga, German Klage "complaint, grievance, lament, accusation;" Old English clacu "affront;" Old Church Slavonic glasu "voice," glagolu "word;" Welsh galw "call"). Related: Called; calling. Meaning "to give a name to" is mid-13c. Coin-toss sense is from 1801. Meaning "to visit" (Middle English) was literally "to stand at the door and call." Telephone/telegraph sense is from 1889. To call out someone to fight (1823) corresponds to French provoquer. To call it a day is from 1834.
- call (n.)
- early 14c., from call (v.). Sense of "a short formal visit" is from 1862.
Example
- 1. I expect you to call me .
- 2. We call that the progress principle .
- 3. I refuse to pay for this call .
- 4. Call centres in bangalore are manned by well-educated indians .
- 5. What do you call them ?