call number

American

noun

Library Science.

a number, letter, symbol, or combination of these, indicating the specific location of a work in a library, especially the combination of the classification symbol and the designation for the author.

call number British

noun

Also called: call mark. the number given to a book in a library, indicating its shelf location

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of call number

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The C-17 craft, call number Reach 871 and based in Dover, Delaware, was among the several that carried hundreds of pre-cleared Afghans out of the country, Defense One reported on Monday.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2021

A presidential commission examining law enforcement in the mid-1960s came up with recommendations including creating a 911 emergency call number and beefing up training and research for police.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2020

A caller dials the conference call number, usually shared through word of mouth or on Facebook groups.

From The Verge • Nov. 22, 2019

I followed one call number to another until I’d collected a whole stack of books.

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2018

Serious adrenaline raced through his body as he tapped the call number for Huckleberry Finn into the hover ladder’s book locator keypad.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023