v.
1 shout, cry (out), hail, yell, roar, bellow, call out, Colloq holler:
I heard someone calling my name.
2 name, designate, denote, denominate, term, style, nickname, label, title, entitle, tag, identify, dub, christen, baptize:
My real name is Angus, but they call me Scotty. A person from Glasgow is called a Glaswegian.
3 call up, telephone, phone, ring (up), dial, Colloq buzz:
As it's her birthday, I must call my mother in Australia. Don't call us, we'll call you.
4 summon, invite, assemble, convoke, convene, bid, gather, collect, muster, rally:
From the minaret, the muezzin was calling the faithful to prayer. Many are called but few are chosen.
5 visit, attend; call in; call on:
My great aunt Frederica came to call last Sunday.
6 awake, awaken, wake up, rouse, Colloq Brit knock up:
7 call down.
(a) appeal to, invoke, petition, request, entreat, supplicate:
He called down the wrath of God on the Philistines.
(b) reprimand, chastise, castigate, upbraid, scold, reprove, rebuke:
He was called down for having left the house after curfew.
8 call for.
(a) demand, request, ask for, order, require, claim:
The people in room 429 have called for clean towels. The problem calls for your urgent attention.
(b) pick up, fetch, come for, get, accompany, Colloq collect:
I'll call for you at seven o'clock.
9 call forth. summon, invoke, draw on or upon, evoke; elicit, inspire:
Susan called forth all her courage and faced her accusers. He failed to call forth much enthusiasm in his listeners.
10 call on or upon.
(a) request of, entreat, ask, address; apostrophize:
The teacher called on me today to recite Hamlet's soliloquy.
(b) supplicate, apostrophize, appeal to:
He called on 'olus, god of the winds, for a fair breeze to carry his ship home.
(c) visit:
The vicar called on us when we first moved in.
11 call off. cancel; discontinue; postpone:
The picnic has been called off because of rain.
12 call up.
(a) summon, enlist, recruit, conscript, US draft:
Father was called up as soon as war was declared.
(b) call, telephone, phone, ring (up):
n.
13 shout, cry, yell, whoop, Colloq holler:
I'll be out in the garden, so give me a call if you want me.
14 summons, invitation, bidding, notice, notification, order, request, demand, command; telephone call, phone call, Brit ring; Colloq tinkle:
She received a call to report at once for duty.
15 reason, justification, cause, need, occasion, right, excuse; requirement:
You have no call to be abusive, regardless of what you think about him.
16 on call. ready, on duty, standing by, on stand-by, awaiting orders:
They had to remain on call from midnight till eight o'clock.
17 within call. within earshot or hearing or (easy) reach:
Please stay within call in case I need you.
noun
1 on the telephone
ADJ.
phone/telephone | long | quick, short
I'll just make a quick phone call.
| local | international, long-distance, trunk | direct-dialled | incoming | outgoing | emergency | anonymous, hoax, nuisance, obscene, unsolicited | wake-up
I ordered a wake-up call for 6.30 the next morning.
(figurative) Last night's defeat should be a wake-up call for the team.
VERB + CALL
give sb, make, place
Give us a call to say when you have arrived. She asked her secretary to place a call through to England.
| get, have, receive | answer, take
I'll take the call upstairs.
| return
I left a message but he didn't return my call.
| put through, transfer
Ask the receptionist to put your call through to my room.
CALL + NOUN
box
PREP.
~ for
Were there any calls for me while I was out?
| ~ from
You had a call from Fred.
| ~ to
I made a call to a friend in London.
2 sound to attract attention
ADJ.
loud | distinctive
the distinctive call of the cuckoo
| plaintive
the bird's plaintive call
| distress | bird | clarion, rallying
(both figurative) This election is a clarion call for our country to face the challenges of the new era.
VERB + CALL
let out | hear
PREP.
~ for
a call for help
3 short visit
ADJ.
business, courtesy, social
VERB + CALL
make, pay (sb)
The doctor has several calls to make this morning.
PREP.
on a ~
She's out on a call.
| ~ on
Her first call was on the local library.
PHRASES
first/last/next port of call
Our first port of call (= the first place we went to)was the chemist's.
4 request/demand
ADJ.
renewed, repeated | last
This is the last call for passengers travelling on British Airways flight 199 to Rome.
| strike
VERB + CALL
issue | renew
Drink-drive campaigners have renewed their call for the introduction of random breath tests.
| answer, heed, respond to
Around 10,000 workers heeded the union's strike call.
| reject
PREP.
~ for
The charity issued a call for donations to assist victims of the earthquake.
PHRASES
a call to arms
(= a strong request for people to fight in the army)(figurative) The president's speech was a call to arms to restore the vitality of the American dream.
Random quote: The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.: Mal Pancoast
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