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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
call verb (called, calling) 1 tr & intr (also call out) to shout or speak loudly in order to attract attention or in announcing something. 2 to ask someone to come, especially with a shout. 3 to ask for a professional visit from someone call the doctor. 4 to summon or invite someone. 5 tr & intr to telephone. 6 to waken Tim was called at 6.30am. 7 intrans to make a visit call at the grocer's. 8 intrans to stop at a place during a journey Does the train call at York? 9 to give a name to someone or something They called their son Kurt. 10 to regard or consider something as something specified I call that strange. 11 to say or imply that someone is something specified, usually unpleasant Are you calling me a liar? 12 to summon or assemble people for (a meeting). 13 to announce or declare something call an election. 14 (often call for something) tr & intr to make a demand or appeal for it call a strike. 15 tr & intr in a card game: to make a bid or choose (a suit for trumps). 16 intrans to predict which way a coin will land when tossed Heads or tails? You call! 17 said of an umpire, etc: to judge (a ball) to be in or out of play. 18 intrans said of a bird, etc: to make its typical or characteristic sound. noun 1 a shout or cry. 2 the cry of a bird or animal. 3 an invitation; a summons. 4 a demand, request or appeal. 5 (usually call on something) a claim or demand for it too many calls on my time. 6 a brief visit. 7 an act of contacting someone by telephone; a telephone conversation. 8 a need or reason not much call for Latin teachers. 9 an act of waking someone, usually by arrangement. 10 a signal blown on a bugle, etc. 11 a feeling that one has been chosen to do a particular job; a vocation. 12 a player's turn to bid or choose trumps in a card game. 13 the decision of a referee, etc on whether a ball is in or out of play. 14 an instrument that imitates a bird's call. caller noun a person or thing that calls. call collect N Amer, especially US to have the telephone call one is making charged to the receiver of the call; to reverse the charges. call something into question to suggest reasons for doubting it. call it a day to decide to stop doing something, eg finish work, etc. call someone or something to mind 1 to remember them. 2 to remind one of something. call the shots to be in command. have first call on something to have the right to (someone's help, attention, etc) before anyone else. on call said eg of a doctor: available if needed, eg to deal with an emergency. within call close enough to hear if called.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon ceallian.
call back to visit or telephone again. call someone back 1 to contact them again or in return by telephone. 2 to summon them to return. call something down on someone to try to inflict it on them as if from heaven. call for something or someone 1 to require them. 2 to collect or fetch them. call something forth to elicit or evoke it. call someone in to invite or request their help. call something in to request the return of (eg library books, a batch of faulty products, etc). call in on or in at someone to visit them, usually briefly. call something off 1 to cancel a meeting, arrangement, etc. 2 to order (an animal) to stop attacking someone. 3 to give orders for something to be stopped We'll call off the search at midnight. call on or upon someone 1 to visit them. 2 to appeal to them. 3 to request or invite them The chairperson called on the secretary to read the minutes. call on something to gather or summon up (one's strength, etc). call people out 1 to instruct (workers) to strike. 2 to summon (eg the fire brigade, the gas board, etc) to help with an emergency, etc. call round to make an informal visit. call someone up 1 to conscript them into the armed forces. See also call-up. 2 colloq to telephone them. call something up 1 to cause (memories, images, etc) to come into the mind. 2 to retrieve (data) from a computer She called up the file in order to print it out. |
call verb (called, calling) 1 tr & intr (also call out) to shout or speak loudly in order to attract attention or in announcing something. 2 to ask someone to come, especially with a shout. 3 to ask for a professional visit from someone call the doctor. 4 to summon or invite someone. 5 tr & intr to telephone. 6 to waken Tim was called at 6.30am. 7 intrans to make a visit call at the grocer's. 8 intrans to stop at a place during a journey Does the train call at York? 9 to give a name to someone or something They called their son Kurt. 10 to regard or consider something as something specified I call that strange. 11 to say or imply that someone is something specified, usually unpleasant Are you calling me a liar? 12 to summon or assemble people for (a meeting). 13 to announce or declare something call an election. 14 (often call for something) tr & intr to make a demand or appeal for it call a strike. 15 tr & intr in a card game: to make a bid or choose (a suit for trumps). 16 intrans to predict which way a coin will land when tossed Heads or tails? You call! 17 said of an umpire, etc: to judge (a ball) to be in or out of play. 18 intrans said of a bird, etc: to make its typical or characteristic sound. noun 1 a shout or cry. 2 the cry of a bird or animal. 3 an invitation; a summons. 4 a demand, request or appeal. 5 (usually call on something) a claim or demand for it too many calls on my time. 6 a brief visit. 7 an act of contacting someone by telephone; a telephone conversation. 8 a need or reason not much call for Latin teachers. 9 an act of waking someone, usually by arrangement. 10 a signal blown on a bugle, etc. 11 a feeling that one has been chosen to do a particular job; a vocation. 12 a player's turn to bid or choose trumps in a card game. 13 the decision of a referee, etc on whether a ball is in or out of play. 14 an instrument that imitates a bird's call. caller noun a person or thing that calls. call collect N Amer, especially US to have the telephone call one is making charged to the receiver of the call; to reverse the charges. call something into question to suggest reasons for doubting it. call it a day to decide to stop doing something, eg finish work, etc. call someone or something to mind 1 to remember them. 2 to remind one of something. call the shots to be in command. have first call on something to have the right to (someone's help, attention, etc) before anyone else. on call said eg of a doctor: available if needed, eg to deal with an emergency. within call close enough to hear if called.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon ceallian.
call back to visit or telephone again. call someone back 1 to contact them again or in return by telephone. 2 to summon them to return. call something down on someone to try to inflict it on them as if from heaven. call for something or someone 1 to require them. 2 to collect or fetch them. call something forth to elicit or evoke it. call someone in to invite or request their help. call something in to request the return of (eg library books, a batch of faulty products, etc). call in on or in at someone to visit them, usually briefly. call something off 1 to cancel a meeting, arrangement, etc. 2 to order (an animal) to stop attacking someone. 3 to give orders for something to be stopped We'll call off the search at midnight. call on or upon someone 1 to visit them. 2 to appeal to them. 3 to request or invite them The chairperson called on the secretary to read the minutes. call on something to gather or summon up (one's strength, etc). call people out 1 to instruct (workers) to strike. 2 to summon (eg the fire brigade, the gas board, etc) to help with an emergency, etc. call round to make an informal visit. call someone up 1 to conscript them into the armed forces. See also call-up. 2 colloq to telephone them. call something up 1 to cause (memories, images, etc) to come into the mind. 2 to retrieve (data) from a computer She called up the file in order to print it out. |
call verb (called, calling) 1 tr & intr (also call out) to shout or speak loudly in order to attract attention or in announcing something. 2 to ask someone to come, especially with a shout. 3 to ask for a professional visit from someone call the doctor. 4 to summon or invite someone. 5 tr & intr to telephone. 6 to waken Tim was called at 6.30am. 7 intrans to make a visit call at the grocer's. 8 intrans to stop at a place during a journey Does the train call at York? 9 to give a name to someone or something They called their son Kurt. 10 to regard or consider something as something specified I call that strange. 11 to say or imply that someone is something specified, usually unpleasant Are you calling me a liar? 12 to summon or assemble people for (a meeting). 13 to announce or declare something call an election. 14 (often call for something) tr & intr to make a demand or appeal for it call a strike. 15 tr & intr in a card game: to make a bid or choose (a suit for trumps). 16 intrans to predict which way a coin will land when tossed Heads or tails? You call! 17 said of an umpire, etc: to judge (a ball) to be in or out of play. 18 intrans said of a bird, etc: to make its typical or characteristic sound. noun 1 a shout or cry. 2 the cry of a bird or animal. 3 an invitation; a summons. 4 a demand, request or appeal. 5 (usually call on something) a claim or demand for it too many calls on my time. 6 a brief visit. 7 an act of contacting someone by telephone; a telephone conversation. 8 a need or reason not much call for Latin teachers. 9 an act of waking someone, usually by arrangement. 10 a signal blown on a bugle, etc. 11 a feeling that one has been chosen to do a particular job; a vocation. 12 a player's turn to bid or choose trumps in a card game. 13 the decision of a referee, etc on whether a ball is in or out of play. 14 an instrument that imitates a bird's call. caller noun a person or thing that calls. call collect N Amer, especially US to have the telephone call one is making charged to the receiver of the call; to reverse the charges. call something into question to suggest reasons for doubting it. call it a day to decide to stop doing something, eg finish work, etc. call someone or something to mind 1 to remember them. 2 to remind one of something. call the shots to be in command. have first call on something to have the right to (someone's help, attention, etc) before anyone else. on call said eg of a doctor: available if needed, eg to deal with an emergency. within call close enough to hear if called.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon ceallian.
call back to visit or telephone again. call someone back 1 to contact them again or in return by telephone. 2 to summon them to return. call something down on someone to try to inflict it on them as if from heaven. call for something or someone 1 to require them. 2 to collect or fetch them. call something forth to elicit or evoke it. call someone in to invite or request their help. call something in to request the return of (eg library books, a batch of faulty products, etc). call in on or in at someone to visit them, usually briefly. call something off 1 to cancel a meeting, arrangement, etc. 2 to order (an animal) to stop attacking someone. 3 to give orders for something to be stopped We'll call off the search at midnight. call on or upon someone 1 to visit them. 2 to appeal to them. 3 to request or invite them The chairperson called on the secretary to read the minutes. call on something to gather or summon up (one's strength, etc). call people out 1 to instruct (workers) to strike. 2 to summon (eg the fire brigade, the gas board, etc) to help with an emergency, etc. call round to make an informal visit. call someone up 1 to conscript them into the armed forces. See also call-up. 2 colloq to telephone them. call something up 1 to cause (memories, images, etc) to come into the mind. 2 to retrieve (data) from a computer She called up the file in order to print it out. |
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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The Chambers Thesaurus
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Chambers Biographical Dictionary
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Thoroughly revised and updated for its 9th edition.




Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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