Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

call

2 noun
     
Related topics: Sport, Animals
call2 S1 W1
1

telephone

[countable] when you speak to someone on the telephoneCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
phone call make a call give somebody a call get/receive a call take a call (=speak to someone on the phone when someone else has answered) return a call (=telephone someone who tried to telephone you earlier) local call long-distance call incoming call (=a call someone makes to you) hoax/crank call (=a call intended to trick someone) anonymous call (=from an unknown person)
call for
Were there any phone calls for me while I was out?
call from
There was a call from Ann for you.
It's cheaper to make calls after 6pm.
I'll give you a call at the weekend.
I got a call from Jane last week.
I'll take the call in my office.
Why haven't you returned any of my calls?
You can make a local call for under 2p a minute.
I don't make many long-distance calls, so my phone bill's usually quite low.
This telephone only accepts incoming calls.
Detectives are investigating a hoax call which led to the evacuation of an office block.
an anonymous call to a Sunday newspaper
2

be on call

if someone such as a doctor or engineer is on call, they are ready to go and help whenever they are needed as part of their job:
Don't worry, there's a doctor on call 24 hours a day.
3

shout/cry

[countable]
a) HBA a loud sound that a bird or animal makes [= cry]
call of
the call of an owl
b) a shout that you make to get someone's attention
4

visit

[countable] a visit, especially for a particular reason:
Sorry, Doctor Pugh is out on a call at the moment.
5

request/order

[countable] a request or order for something or for someone to do something:
Members obediently answered the calls for funds.
call for somebody to do something
There have been calls for the secretary to resign.
a call to arms (=an order for people to fight against an enemy)
6

decision

a) DS [countable] the decision made by a referee in a sports game
make a good/bad call
There may have been a few bad calls, but they're making them for a reason.
b) [singular] informal a decision:
Don't just say what you think I would like. It's your call.
make a call (=decide something)
an easy/hard call (=an easy or difficult decision)
judgement call (=a decision based on your personal judgement of a situation)
7

there isn't much call for something

used for saying that not many people want a particular thing:
There isn't much call for black and white televisions these days.
8

there is no call for something

spoken used to tell someone that their behaviour is wrong and unnecessary:
There's no call for that kind of language!
9TTA

at an airport

[countable] a message announced at an airport that a particular plane will soon leave:
This is the last call for flight BA872 to Moscow.
10

have first call on something

a) to have the right to be the first person to use something
b) to be the first person that you will help because they are important to you:
Her children had first call on her time.
11

the call of something

literary the power that a place or way of life has to attract someone:
the call of the sea
12

the call of nature

a need to urinate (=pass liquid from your body) - used especially humorously

➔ be at somebody's beck and call

at beck (1), port of call, roll-call, wake-up call
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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