What is "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.

   Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain
   --Shak.

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. Paul . . . called to be an apostle --Rom. i.

   1. The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
      --Acts xiii.

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.

   Now call we our high court of Parliament.
   --Shak.

4. To give name to; to name; to address, or speak of, by a specifed name.

   If you would but call me Rosalind.
   --Shak.

   And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
   --Gen. i.

5. 5. To regard or characterize as of a certain kind; to denominate; to designate.

   What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
   --Acts x. 15.

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.

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

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

   This speech calls him Spaniard.
   --Beau. & Fl.

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.

   No parish clerk who calls the psalm so clear.
   --Gay.

9. To invoke; to appeal to.

   I call God for a witness.
   --2 Cor. i. 23

10. To rouse from sleep; to awaken. If thou canst awake by four o' the clock. I prithee call me. Sleep hath seized me wholly. --Shak. 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,

    1. To collect; as, to call in debts or money; ar to withdraw from cirulation; as, to call in uncurrent coin.

    2. 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.

       1. To summon to fight; to challenge.

       2. 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:

          1. A public meeting, when opening it for business.

          2. 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.

             1. To bring into view or recollection; as to call up the image of deceased friend.

             2. 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.