To call off

Call Call (k[add]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Called} (k[add]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Calling}] [OE. callen, AS. ceallian; akin to Icel. & Sw. kalla, Dan. kalde, D. kallen to talk, prate, OHG. kall[=o]n to call; cf. Gr. ghry`ein to speak, sing, Skr. gar to praise. Cf. {Garrulous}.] 1. To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant. [1913 Webster]

Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To summon to the discharge of a particular duty; to designate for an office, or employment, especially of a religious character; -- often used of a divine summons; as, to be called to the ministry; sometimes, to invite; as, to call a minister to be the pastor of a church. [1913 Webster]

Paul . . . called to be an apostle --Rom. i. 1. [1913 Webster]

The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. --Acts xiii. 2. [1913 Webster]

3. To invite or command to meet; to convoke; -- often with together; as, the President called Congress together; to appoint and summon; as, to call a meeting of the Board of Aldermen. [1913 Webster]

Now call we our high court of Parliament. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. To give name to; to name; to address, or speak of, by a specifed name. [1913 Webster]

If you would but call me Rosalind. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. --Gen. i. 5. [1913 Webster]

5. To regard or characterize as of a certain kind; to denominate; to designate. [1913 Webster]

What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. --Acts x. 15. [1913 Webster]

6. To state, or estimate, approximately or loosely; to characterize without strict regard to fact; as, they call the distance ten miles; he called it a full day's work. [1913 Webster]

[The] army is called seven hundred thousand men. --Brougham. [1913 Webster]

7. To show or disclose the class, character, or nationality of. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

This speech calls him Spaniard. --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]

8. To utter in a loud or distinct voice; -- often with off; as, to call, or call off, the items of an account; to call the roll of a military company. [1913 Webster]

No parish clerk who calls the psalm so clear. --Gay. [1913 Webster]

9. To invoke; to appeal to. [1913 Webster]

I call God for a witness. --2 Cor. i. 23 [Rev. Ver. ] [1913 Webster]

10. To rouse from sleep; to awaken. [1913 Webster]

If thou canst awake by four o' the clock. I prithee call me. Sleep hath seized me wholly. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{To call a bond}, to give notice that the amount of the bond will be paid.

{To call a party} (Law), to cry aloud his name in open court, and command him to come in and perform some duty requiring his presence at the time on pain of what may befall him.

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

{To call down}, to pray for, as blessing or curses.

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

{To call in}, (a) To collect; as, to call in debts or money; ar to withdraw from cirulation; as, to call in uncurrent coin. (b) To summon to one's side; to invite to come together; as, to call in neighbors.

{To call (any one) names}, to apply contemptuous names (to any one).

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

{To call out}. (a) To summon to fight; to challenge. (b) To summon into service; as, to call out the militia.

{To call over}, to recite separate particulars in order, as a roll of names.

{To call to account}, to demand explanation of.

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

{To call to order}, to request to come to order; as: (a) A public meeting, when opening it for business. (b) A person, when he is transgressing the rules of debate.

{To call to the bar}, to admit to practice in courts of law.

{To call up}. (a) To bring into view or recollection; as to call up the image of deceased friend. (b) To bring into action or discussion; to demand the consideration of; as, to call up a bill before a legislative body.

Syn: To name; denominate; invite; bid; summon; convoke; assemble; collect; exhort; warn; proclaim; invoke; appeal to; designate.

Usage: {To Call}, {Convoke}, {Summon}. Call is the generic term; as, to call a public meeting. To convoke is to require the assembling of some organized body of men by an act of authority; as, the king convoked Parliament. To summon is to require attendance by an act more or less stringent anthority; as, to summon a witness. [1913 Webster]