call to arms

noun

1. a command to report for active military duty.

Word History and Origins

Origin of call to arms¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

In what appeared to be a call to arms, it urged its supporters to "report for national service" and to use "all means available to regain their country and sovereignty".

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It also appears “South Park” will be focused on ICE recruitment or, rather, the absurdity of the administration’s public call to arms.

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The famous phrase "the game is about glory" echoes around the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before every game as a call to arms and the club's mission statement.

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But South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that a "reasonably well-informed person" would understand that when "protest songs are sung, even by politicians, the words are not meant to be understood literally, nor is the gesture of shooting to be understood as a call to arms or violence".

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The court ruled that a "reasonably well-informed person" would understand that when "protest songs are sung, even by politicians, the words are not meant to be understood literally, nor is the gesture of shooting to be understood as a call to arms or violence".

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