Definition of Call

Verb: call kol

Assign a specified (usually proper) name to
"They called their son David";
- name
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"
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";
- telephone, call up, phone, ring
Utter a sudden loud cry
"she called with pain when the doctor inserted the needle";
- shout, shout out, cry, yell, scream, holler, hollo [non-standard], squall
Order, request, or command to come
"She was called into the director's office"; "Call the police!";
- send for
Pay a brief visit
"The mayor likes to call on some of the prominent citizens";
- visit, call in
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"
Read aloud to check for omissions or absentees
"Call roll"
(telecommunication) 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"
Utter a characteristic note or cry
"bluejays called to one another"
Stop or postpone because of adverse conditions, such as bad weather
"call a football game"
Greet, as with a prescribed form, title, or name
"Call me Mister"; "She calls him by first name";
- address
Make a stop in a harbour
"The ship will call in Honolulu tomorrow"
Demand payment of (a loan)
"Call a loan"; "call in a loan";
- call in
(card game) make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands
"He called his trump";
- bid
Give the calls (to the dancers) for a square dance
- call off
(sport) indicate a decision in regard to
"call balls and strikes behind the plate"
Make a prediction about; tell in advance
"Call the outcome of an election";
- predict, foretell, prognosticate, forebode, anticipate, promise
Present for redemption before maturation
"Call a bond"
Challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offence
"He deserves to be called on that"
Declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee
"call a runner out"
Lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal
"Call ducks"
Order, request or give a command for
"The unions called a general strike for Sunday"
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"
Utter in a loud voice or announce
"He called my name"; "The auctioneer called the bids"
Challenge the sincerity or truthfulness of
"call the speaker on a question of fact"
Consider or regard as being
"I would not call her beautiful"
Rouse somebody from sleep with a call
"I was called at 5 A.M. this morning"

Noun: call kol

A telephone connection
"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";
- phone call, telephone call
A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
"the speaker was interrupted by loud calls from the rear of the audience";
- cry, outcry, yell, shout, vociferation
A moral duty or demand
- claim
The characteristic sound produced by a bird
"a bird will not learn its call unless it hears it at an early age";
- birdcall, birdsong, song
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 parlour of some residence"
A demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement
- margin call
A demand for a show of hands in a card game
"after two raises there was a call"
A request
"many calls for Christmas stories"; "not many calls for buggywhips"
An instruction that interrupts the program being executed
"Pascal performs calls by simply giving the name of the routine to be executed"
A visit in an official or professional capacity
"the pastor's calls on his parishioners"; "the salesman's call on a customer"
(sport) the decision made by an umpire or referee
"he was ejected for protesting the call"
The option to buy a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
- call option

Noun: Call

A special disposition (as if from a divine source) to pursue a particular course
"he was disappointed that he had not heard the Call"