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6 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Call \Call\, n.
     1. The act of calling; -- usually with the voice, but often
        otherwise, as by signs, the sound of some instrument, or
        by writing; a summons; an entreaty; an invitation; as, a
        call for help; the bugle's call. ``Call of the trumpet.''
        --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I rose as at thy call, but found thee not. --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A signal, as on a drum, bugle, trumpet, or pipe, to summon
        soldiers or sailors to duty.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Eccl.) An invitation to take charge of or serve a church
        as its pastor.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A requirement or appeal arising from the circumstances of
        the case; a moral requirement or appeal.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity.
                                                    --Addison.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Running into danger without any call of duty.
                                                    --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. A divine vocation or summons.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              St. Paul himself believed he did well, and that he
              had a call to it, when he persecuted the Christians.
                                                    --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. Vocation; employment.
  
     Note: [In this sense, calling is generally used.]
           [1913 Webster]
  
     7. A short visit; as, to make a call on a neighbor; also, the
        daily coming of a tradesman to solicit orders.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The baker's punctual call.            --Cowper.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     8. (Hunting) A note blown on the horn to encourage the
        hounds.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     9. (Naut.) A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his
        mate, to summon the sailors to duty.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     10. (Fowling) The cry of a bird; also a noise or cry in
         imitation of a bird; or a pipe to call birds by imitating
         their note or cry.
         [1913 Webster]
  
     11. (Amer. Land Law) A reference to, or statement of, an
         object, course, distance, or other matter of description
         in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a
         corresponding object, etc., on the land.
         [1913 Webster]
  
     12. The privilege to demand the delivery of stock, grain, or
         any commodity, at a fixed, price, at or within a certain
         time agreed on. [Brokers' Cant]
         [1913 Webster]
  
     13. See Assessment, 4.
         [1913 Webster]
  
     At call, or On call, liable to be demanded at any moment
        without previous notice; as money on deposit.
  
     Call bird, a bird taught to allure others into a snare.
  
     Call boy
         (a) A boy who calls the actors in a theater; a boy who
             transmits the orders of the captain of a vessel to
             the engineer, helmsman, etc.
         (b) A waiting boy who answers a cal, or cames at the
             ringing of a bell; a bell boy.
  
     Call note, the note naturally used by the male bird to call
        the female. It is artificially applied by birdcatchers as
        a decoy. --Latham.
  
     Call of the house (Legislative Bodies), a calling over the
        names of members, to discover who is absent, or for other
        purposes; a calling of names with a view to obtaining the
        ayes and noes from the persons named.
  
     Call to the bar, admission to practice in the courts.
        [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Call \Call\, n.
     1. The act of calling; -- usually with the voice, but often
        otherwise, as by signs, the sound of some instrument, or
        by writing; a summons; an entreaty; an invitation; as, a
        call for help; the bugle's call. ``Call of the trumpet.''
        --Shak.
  
              I rose as at thy call, but found thee not. --Milton.
  
     2. A signal, as on a drum, bugle, trumpet, or pipe, to summon
        soldiers or sailors to duty.
  
     3. (Eccl.) An invitation to take charge of or serve a church
        as its pastor.
  
     4. A requirement or appeal arising from the circumstances of
        the case; a moral requirement or appeal.
  
              Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity.
                                                    --Addison.
  
              Running into danger without any call of duty.
                                                    --Macaulay.
  
     5. A divine vocation or summons.
  
              St. Paul himself believed he did well, and that he
              had a call to it, when he persecuted the Christians.
                                                    --Locke.
  
     6. Vocation; employment.
  
     Note: [In this sense, calling is generally used.]
  
     7. A short visit; as, to make a call on a neighbor; also, the
        daily coming of a tradesman to solicit orders.
  
              The baker's punctual call.            --Cowper.
  
     8. (Hunting) A note blown on the horn to encourage the
        hounds.
  
     9. (Naut.) A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his
        mate, to summon the sailors to duty.
  
     10. (Fowling) The cry of a bird; also a noise or cry in
         imitation of a bird; or a pipe to call birds by imitating
         their note or cry.
  
     11. (Amer. Land Law) A reference to, or statement of, an
         object, course, distance, or other matter of description
         in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a
         corresponding object, etc., on the land.
  
     12. The privilege to demand the delivery of stock, grain, or
         any commodity, at a fixed, price, at or within a certain
         time agreed on. [Brokers' Cant]
  
     13. See Assessment, 4.
  
     At call, or On call, liable to be demanded at any moment
        without previous notice; as money on deposit.
  
     Call bird, a bird taught to allure others into a snare.
  
     Call boy
         (a) A boy who calls the actors in a theater; a boy who
             transmits the orders of the captain of a vessel to
             the engineer, helmsman, etc.
         (b) A waiting boy who answers a cal, or cames at the
             ringing of a bell; a bell boy.
  
     Call note, the note naturally used by the male bird to call
        the female. It is artificially applied by birdcatchers as
        a decoy. --Latham.
  
     Call of the house (Legislative Bodies), a calling over the
        names of members, to discover who is absent, or for other
        purposes; a calling of names with a view to obtaining the
        ayes and noes from the persons named.
  
     Call to the bar, admission to practice in the courts.

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  call bird
     n.
     1 A captive bird used by hunters to lure free-flying birds into a
  snare or trap.
     2 (lb en figurative by extension) Anything desirable used to lure
  somebody.

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]

  call bird
     n.
     1 A captive bird used by hunters to lure free-flying birds into a
  snare or trap.
     2 (lb en figurative by extension) Anything desirable used to lure
  somebody.

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]

  call bird
     n.
     1 A captive bird used by hunters to lure free-flying birds into a
  snare or trap.
     2 (lb en figurative by extension) Anything desirable used to lure
  somebody.

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]

  call bird
     n.
     1 A captive bird used by hunters to lure free-flying birds into a
  snare or trap.
     2 (lb en figurative by extension) Anything desirable used to lure
  somebody.

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