shots
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call
(kôl)v. called, call·ing, calls
v.tr.
1. To say in a loud voice; announce: called my name from across the street; calling out numbers.
2. To demand or ask for the presence of: called the children to dinner; call the police.
3. To demand or ask for a meeting of; convene or convoke: call the legislature into session.
4. To order or request to undertake a particular activity or work; summon: She was called for jury duty. He was called to the priesthood.
5. To give the command for; order: call a work stoppage.
6.
a. To communicate or try to communicate with by telephone: called me at nine.
b. To dial (a telephone number): call 911 for help.
7. To lure (prey) by imitating the characteristic cry of an animal: call ducks.
8. To cause to come to the mind or to attention: a story that calls to mind an incident in my youth.
9. To name: What will you call the baby?
10. To consider or regard as being of a particular type or kind; characterize: Let's call the game a draw. I'd hardly call him a good manager.
11. To designate; label: Nobody calls me a liar.
12.
a. To demand payment of: call a loan.
b. To require the presentation of (a bond) for redemption before maturity.
c. To force the sale of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a call option.
13. Sports
a. To stop or postpone (a game) because of bad weather, darkness, or other adverse conditions.
b. To declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee: call a runner out; call a penalty for holding.
c. To indicate a decision in regard to: calling balls and strikes; called a close play at home plate.
d. To give the orders or signals for: a quarterback who called a poor play.
14. Games
a. To describe the intended outcome of (one's billiard shot) before playing.
b. In poker, to place a bet equal to (the preceding bet or bettor).
15. To indicate or characterize accurately in advance; predict: It is often difficult to call the outcome of an election. See Synonyms at predict.
16. To challenge the truthfulness or genuineness of: called the debater on a question of fact.
17. To shout directions in rhythm for (a square dance).
v.intr.
1.
a. To speak loudly; shout: a swimmer who was calling for help.
b. To utter a characteristic cry. Used of an animal: geese calling in the early morning.
2. To communicate or try to communicate with someone by telephone: I called twice, but no one answered.
3. To pay a short visit: We called to pay our respects. He called on the neighbors but they weren't home.
4. Games In poker, to place a bet equal to the preceding bet.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. A loud cry; a shout.
2.
a. The characteristic cry of an animal.
b. A sound or an instrument made to imitate such a cry, used as a lure: a moose call.
3. A telephone communication or connection.
4. Need or occasion: There was no call for an apology.
5. Demand: There isn't much call for buggy whips today.
6. A claim on a person's time or life: the call of duty.
7. A short visit, especially one made as a formality or for business or professional purposes.
8. A summons or invitation.
9.
a. A signal, such as that made by a horn or bell.
b. The sounding of a horn to encourage hounds during a hunt.
10.
a. A strong inner urge or prompting; a vocation: a call to the priesthood.
b. The strong attraction or appeal of a given activity or environment: the call of the wild; answered the call of the desert.
11. A roll call.
12. A notice of rehearsal times posted in a theater.
13. Sports
a. A decision made by an umpire or referee.
b. An announced description of a game or race, as by a sportscaster.
14. A direction or series of directions rhythmically called out to square dancers.
15.
a. A demand for payment of a debt.
b. A demand to submit bonds to the issuer for redemption before the maturity date.
c. An option to buy a certain quantity of a stock or commodity for a specified price within a specified time.
d. A demand for payment due on stock bought on margin when the value has shrunk.
call back
1. To communicate the need for (someone) to return from one situation or location to a previous one: Management called the laid-off workers back.
2. To request (someone) to come in for an audition after an initial audition: The director auditioned six singers for the part and called two back.
3. To telephone or radio (a person) who has called previously: I called her back at noon.
4. To recall (a defective product) for repair: The company has called back all such models built in 1990.
call down
1. To find fault with; reprimand: The teacher called me down for disobedience.
2. To invoke, as from heaven.
call for
1. To appear, as on someone else's premises, in order to get: My chauffeur will call for you at seven.
2. To be an appropriate occasion for: This news calls for champagne.
3. To require; demand: work that calls for patience.
call forth
To evoke; elicit: a love song that calls forth sad memories.
call in
1. To take out of circulation: calling in silver dollars.
2. To summon for assistance or consultation: call in a specialist.
3. To communicate with another by telephone: Has the boss called in today?
call off
1. To cancel or postpone: call off a trip; called the trip off.
2. To restrain or recall: Call off your dogs.
call on
To order or request to undertake a particular activity: called on our friends to help.
call out
1. To order or request to assemble or arrive somewhere; summon: call out the guard.
2. To challenge to a duel.
3. To set off or direct attention to, as in being commendable or of interest: The article calls out the new features of the software in a sidebar.
call up
1. To summon to active military service: called up reserve troops for active duty.
2. To cause one to remember; bring to mind: stories that call up old times.
3. To bring forth for action or discussion; raise.
call upon
Idioms: 1. To order; require: I call upon you to tell the truth.
2. To make a demand or a series of demands on: Social institutions are now being called upon to provide assistance to the homeless.
call in/into question
To raise doubts about.
call it a day Informal
To stop what one has been doing, for the remainder of the day or at least for the present.
call it a night Informal
To stop what one has been doing, for the remainder of the night.
call it quits Informal
To stop working or trying; quit.
call names
To speak to or about another in offensive terms.
call of nature
A need to urinate or defecate. Often used with answer: He left the room to answer the call of nature.
call (someone's) bluff
To demand proof for or respond in a challenging way to the claims or threats of another that one presumes to be false.
call the shots/tune Informal
To exercise authority; be in charge.
on call
1. Available when summoned for service or use: physicians who were on call for 48 hours.
2. Subject to payment on demand.
within call
Close enough to come if summoned: The nurse is within call if you need him.
Synonyms: call, assemble, convene, convoke, muster, summon
These verbs mean to demand or request to appear, come, or gather: called a meeting; assembled the troops; convened a panel of experts; will convoke the legislature; mustering the militia; summoned a group of investors.
These verbs mean to demand or request to appear, come, or gather: called a meeting; assembled the troops; convened a panel of experts; will convoke the legislature; mustering the militia; summoned a group of investors.
Our Living Language African American Vernacular English uses call oneself with a present participle, as in They call themselves dancing, to express the idea that the people being talked about are not very good at what they're doing (in this case, dancing), even though they may think they are. This construction has a structure and meaning similar to the Standard English use of call oneself with a noun phrase or adjective, as in He calls himself a dancer or She calls herself intelligent.
shot 1
(shŏt)n.
1. The firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a gun.
2. The distance over which something is shot; the range.
3.
a. An attempt to hit a target with a projectile: His shot at the bear missed by inches.
b. An attempt to reach a target with a rocket: a moon shot.
4. Sports & Games
a. An attempt to score into a goal, as in soccer or hockey.
b. The flight or path of a projectile in a game.
c. A sharply hit or driven ball or puck.
d. A stroke in a game, as in golf or billiards: took three shots to get out of the sand trap.
5. A pointed or critical remark.
6. Informal
a. An attempt; a try: took a shot at losing weight.
b. An opportunity: gave him a fair shot at the part in the play.
c. A chance at odds; something to bet on: The horse was a four-to-one shot.
7.
a. A solid projectile designed to be discharged from a firearm or cannon.
b. pl. shot Such projectiles, especially when fired in clusters, considered as a group.
c. pl. shot Tiny lead or steel pellets, especially ones used in a shotgun cartridge.
d. One of these pellets.
8. Sports The heavy metal ball that is put for distance in the shot put.
9. One who shoots in a particular way: a good shot with the rifle and the bow.
10.
a. A charge of explosives used in blasting mine shafts.
b. A detonation of an explosive charge.
11.
a. A photograph taken of a particular subject: got a good shot of that last model.
b. A single continuous recording made with a movie camera.
12.
a. A hypodermic injection.
b. A small amount given or applied at one time: a shot of oxygen.
13.
a. A small amount of liquor, usually between 1 and 1 ½ ounces: got out the vodka and measured two shots into the glass.
b. A small drink: sipped a shot of bourbon; drank a shot of espresso.
c. A small amount of a liquid used as an ingredient in a beverage: prepared a smoothie with a shot of wheatgrass.
14. An amount to be paid, as for drinks; a bill.
15. Nautical A length of chain equal to 15 fathoms (90 feet).
tr.v. shot·ted, shot·ting, shots
Idioms: To load or weight with shot.
like a shot
Very quickly.
shot in the arm Informal
Something that boosts one's spirits.
shot in the dark Informal
1. A guess.
2. An attempt that has little chance of succeeding.
shot 2
(shŏt)v.
Past tense and past participle of shoot.
adj.
1.
a. Of changeable or variegated color; iridescent.
b. Streaked or flecked with or as if with yarn of a different color: a blue suit shot with purple; a forest glade that was shot with sunlight.
c. Interspersed or permeated with a distinctive quality: Her apology was shot with irony.
2. Informal
a. Worn-out; ruined.
b. Exhausted; thoroughly tired.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.