call out

• call-out

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call out (third-person singular simple present calls out, present participle calling out, simple past and past participle called out)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To specify, especially in detail.

   They call out 304 stainless steel in the drawing, but the part was made from aluminum.

2. (transitive, idiomatic) To order into service; to summon into service.

   Synonym: summon

   The Governor called out the National Guard.

   • 1984, Nena, 99 Red Balloons (lyrics written by Kevin McAlea)

     Ninety-nine Decision Street
     Ninety-nine ministers meet
     To worry, worry, super scurry
     Call the troops out in a hurry

3. (intransitive, transitive) To yell out; to vocalize audibly; announce.
   • 1971, Carole King, “You’ve Got A Friend”, Tapestry, Ode Records

     You just call out my name / And you know wherever I am / I'll come running to see you again.

4. (transitive, idiomatic, colloquial) To challenge, criticize, denounce.

   Synonyms: denounce, point out, charge

   He was very insulting. Finally Jack called him out and shut him up.

   She called them out on their lies.

5. (intransitive) To contact one's workplace and announce that one is unable to attend work.
   • 2012, Earliecia J. Ebron, Regress

     I had to call out from work. […] I barely ate yesterday. The only thing that stayed in my stomach was soup and crackers.

   • 2015, Brasford Love, My Life: The Journey to Here

     I had to call out from work a few Saturdays to Dj at kid's party because they would normally start somewhere around 4:00 p.m.

   • 2015, Pearley Rufus-Lusan, The Baby Boomer Nurse

     On this particular day, I felt ill, mostly from exhaustion, and had to call out from work. This callout caused a stir and a display of animosity.

Bus operators are said to "call out" a stop when they announce that it will be the next available stop; synonyms of call out are not typically used.

• callout

call out (plural call outs)

1. (Britain) An incidence of someone being summoned for some purpose.

   I had to pay for the call out of the plumber after the pipe burst.

2. (US) A meeting or rally held in order to find interested participants, e.g. for an activity or sports team.

   So many people attended the basketball call out that the coach decided to form 2 teams.

• Cotulla, outcall