CALL, verb transitive [Heb. To hold or restrain.] In a general sense, to drive; to strain or force out sound. Hence,

1. To name; to denominate or give a name. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. Genesis 1:5.

2. To convoke; to summon; to direct or order to meet; to assemble by order or public notice; often with together; as, the king called his council together; the president called together the congress.

3. To request to meet or come.

He sent his servants to call them that were bidden. Math. 22.

4. To invite.

Because I have called and ye refused. Proverbs 1:28.

5. To invite or summon to come or be present; to invite, or collect.

CALL all your senses to you.

6. To give notice to come by authority; to command to come; as, call a servant.

7. To proclaim; to name, or publish the name.

Nor parish clerk, who calls the psalm so clear.

8. To appoint or designate, as for an office, duty or employment.

See, I have called by name Bezaleel. Exodus 31:2.

Paul called to be an apostle. Romans 1:1.

9. To invite; to warn; to exhort. Isaiah 22:12.

10. To invite or draw into union with Christ; to bring to know, believe and obey the gospel.

Revelation 19:9

11. To own and acknowledge. Hebrews 2:11.

12. To invoke or appeal to.

I call God for a record. 2 Corinthians 1:23.

13. To esteem or account. Isaiah 47:5. Matthew 3:15.

To call down, to invite, or to bring down.

To call back, to revoke, or retract; to recall; to summon or bring back.

To call for, to demand, require or claim, as a crime calls for punishment; or to cause to grow. Ezekiel 36:29. Also, to speak for; to ask; to request; as, to call for a dinner.

To call in, to collect, as to call in debts or money; or to draw from circulation, as to call in clipped coin; or to summon together; to invite to come together; as, to call in neighbors or friends.

To call forth, to bring or summon to action; as, to call forth all the faculties of the mind.

To call off, to summon away; to divert; as, to call off the attention; to call off workmen from their employment.

To call up, to bring into view or recollection; as, to call u the image of a deceased friend; also, to bring into action, or discussion; as, to call up a bill before a legislative body.

To call over, to read a list, name by name; to recite separate particulars in order, as a roll of names.

To call out, to summon to fight; to challenge; also, to summon into service; as, to call out the militia.

To call to mind, to recollect; to revive in memory.

CALL, verb intransitive

1. To utter a loud sound, or to address by name; to utter the name; sometimes with to.

The angel of God called to Hagar. Genesis 21:3.

2. To stop, without intention of staying; to make a short stop; as, to call at the inn. This use Johnson supposes to have originated in the custom of denoting ones presence at the door by a call It is common, in this phrase, to use at, as to call at the inn; or on, as to call on a friend. This application seems to be equivalent to speak, D. Kallen. Let us speak at this place.

To call on, to make a short visit to; also, to solicit payment, or make a demand of a debt. In a theological sense, to pray to or worship; as, to call on the name of the Lord. Gen 4. To repeat solemnly.

To call out, to utter a loud voice; to bawl; a popular use of the phrase.

CALL, noun

1. A vocal address, of summons or invitation; as, he will not come at a call

2. Demand; requisition; public claim; as, listen to the calls of justice or humanity.

3. Divine vocation, or summons; as the call of Abraham.

4. Invitation; request of a public body or society; as, a clergyman has a call to settle in the ministry.

5. A summons from heaven; impulse.

St. Paul believed he had a call when he persecuted the Christians.

6. Authority; command.

7. A short visit; as, to make a call; to give one a call that is, a speaking to; D. Kallen. To give one a call is to stop a moment and speak or say a word; or to have a short conversation with.

8. Vocation; employment. In this sense calling is generally used.

9. A naming; a nomination.

10. Among hunters, a lesson blown on the horn, to comfort the hounds.

11. Among seamen, a whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to their duty.

12. The English name of the mineral called by the Germans tungsten or wolfram.

13. Among fowlers, the noise or cry of a fowl, or a pipe to call birds by imitating their voice.

14. In legislative bodies, the call of the house, is a calling over the names of the members, to discover who is absent or for other purpose; a calling of names with a view to obtain answers from the person named.