- [countable] (also phone call, formal telephone call)the act of speaking to somebody on the phone
- to get/receive a call from somebody
- to give somebody/make a call
- I can't take (= answer) your call at the moment, so please leave a message after the beep.
- I left a message but he didn't return my call.
- An emergency call was made at 9 p.m.
- They put out a distress call and were towed into harbour
British/American phone / call / ringphone / call / ringVerbssee also alarm call, blank call, cold call, conference call, courtesy call, nuisance call, wake-up call- In British English, to phone, to ring and to call are the usual ways of saying to telephone. In North American English the most common word is call, but phone is also used. Speakers of North American English do not say ring. Telephone is formal and is used mainly in British English.
- You can use call or phone call (more formal) in both British English and North American English:
- Were there any phone calls for me?
- How do I make a local call?
- I’ll give you a call tonight.
- I’ll give you a ring tonight.
Extra ExamplesTopics Phones, email and the interneta1- Give us a call to say when you have arrived.
- I'll just make a quick phone call.
- I made a call to a friend in London.
- I'm expecting a call any minute.
- The receptionist put the call through to my room.
- He received an urgent call and had to leave.
- He spent the whole day fielding calls from concerned parents.
- I ended the call as quickly as possible.
- She placed a call to the Dutch Embassy in Dublin.
- She had her phone on silent and missed an important call.
- The police managed to trace the call.
- The screen display said ‘8 missed calls’.
- We always make follow-up calls to ensure customer satisfaction.
- We're not supposed to make personal calls at work.
- You had a call from Fred.
- I received an unexpected call from the police yesterday.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- phone
- telephone
- long
- …
- give somebody
- make
- place
- …
- box
- centre/center
- call for
- call from
- call to
- …
- call (for something) a shout or loud sound made to attract attention
- a call for help
- [countable] a loud sound made by a bird or an animal
- the distinctive call of the cuckoo
- The call of the barn owl is often described as a screech or scream.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- loud
- distinctive
- alarm
- …
- let out
- make
- sound
- …
- call for
- call to
- [countable] a request, an order or a demand for somebody to do something or to go somewhere
- The government has resisted the calls of the international community.
- call for something calls for national unity
- This is the last call for passengers travelling on British Airways flight 199 to Rome.
- call for somebody to do something calls for the minister to resign
- call to something (formal) The book is a call to action.
- The mosque was sounding the call to prayer.
Extra Examplessee also cattle call, clarion call, curtain call, roll call- Campaigners have renewed their call for an independent inquiry.
- The charity issued a call for donations to assist victims of the earthquake.
- It is unlikely that they will heed calls for a crackdown.
- This election is a clarion call for our country to face the challenges of the new era.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- renewed
- repeated
- last
- …
- issue
- renew
- repeat
- …
- button
- call for
- a call to action
- a call to arms
- [uncountable] no demand for something; no reason for somebody’s behaviour
- no call for something There isn't a lot of call for these nowadays.
- no call (for somebody) to do something There was no call for you to go upsetting everyone like that.
- [countable] call on somebody/something a demand or pressure placed on somebody/something
- She is a busy woman with many calls on her time.
- [countable] a short visit to somebody’s house
- The doctor has five calls to make this morning.
- I'm afraid this isn't a social call.
- call on somebody (old-fashioned) to pay a call on an old friend
- on a call The doctor is out on a call.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- business
- courtesy
- sales
- …
- make
- pay (somebody)
- on a call
- call on
- first port of call
- last port of call
- next port of call
- …
- [singular] call (of something) (literary) a strong feeling of attraction that a particular place has for you
- the call of the sea/your homeland
- [singular] call (to something) a strong feeling that you want to do something, especially a particular job
- He felt the call to the priesthood early on in his life.
- [countable] (informal) a decision
- It's your call!
- a good/bad call
- That's a tough call.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- tough
- close
- judgement/judgment
- …
- [countable] a decision made by the umpire
- There was a disputed call in the second set.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- tough
- close
- judgement/judgment
- …
- [countable] a player’s bid or turn to bid
on phone
shout
of bird/animal
request/demand
visit
of a place
to a particular job
decision
in tennis
in card games
Word Originlate Old English ceallian, from Old Norse kalla ‘summon loudly’.
Idioms
See call in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee call in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat somebody’s beck and call
- always ready to obey somebody’s orders
- He is constantly at the beck and call of his invalid father.
- Don't expect to have me at your beck and call.
(above and) beyond the call of duty
- to a higher standard or level than is required for a job or task
- She went above and beyond the call of duty in her efforts to save his life.
the call of nature
- (humorous) the need to go to the toilet
a call to arms
- a strong request to fight in the army; a strong request to defend something or get ready for a fight about something
- A leading environmentalist has issued a call to arms to companies and the public to do more about plastic waste.
- The president's speech was a call to arms to restore the vitality of the American dream.
a close call/shave
- (informal) a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.
- He had a close shave when his brakes failed on the mountain road.
have first call (on somebody/something)
- to be the most important person or thing competing for somebody’s time, money, etc. and to be dealt with or paid for before other people or things
- The children always have first call on her time.
(be) on call
- (of a doctor, police officer, etc.) available for work if necessary, especially in an emergency
- I'll be on call the night of the party.
- The doctor had been on call for 48 hours and was exhausted.
Check pronunciation:
call