caller
1 Americanadjective
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(of fruit, fish, vegetables, etc.) fresh; recently picked or caught.
noun
-
a person or thing that calls, esp a person who makes a brief visit
-
a racing commentator
adjective
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(of food, esp fish) fresh
-
cool
a caller breeze
Usage
What is a basic definition of caller? A caller is a person who calls, a person who makes a short visit, or a person who shouts out directions. By far, the most common use of caller is in the sense of a person who calls someone, especially using a phone. In the past, a person would hear from callers using wired telephones but today cell phones and smartphones are much more common.
- Real-life examples: Radio shows and podcasts might take questions from callers. A service known as caller ID identifies on a screen who is calling so you can avoid answering unwanted calls (be sure to answer when it’s your mom!). A dog will often run toward a caller using its name.
- Used in a sentence: My favorite podcast always ends with a Q&A session with callers.
- Used in a sentence: My house was a mess because I didn’t expect so many callers to come over today.
- Used in a sentence: My heart was racing as I waited for the caller to shout “B5,” the last number I needed to win.
Synonym Usage
See visitor.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of caller1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English. See call, -er 1
Origin of caller2
1325–75; Middle English, north. variant of calver fresh, alive (said of fish) < ?
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.
See Examples For:
“Who is the shot caller in that car?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The caller said they were a member of 764, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
He said he was with the project manager, who referred the caller to Alyssa Bowker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The elderly caller in mid-Wales who had slipped on decking was put through to the falls desk - initially set up as a pilot to handle around a thousand calls a day of this nature.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
I answered and told the caller my host was out for the evening.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Johnson recommended that beneficiaries be careful to guard against unsolicited callers claiming to be from insurers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The helpline doesn’t offer therapy, but instead directs callers to professionals who are trained in treating harmful sexual behaviors.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
Rowan told callers that Apollo will have daily pricing for its investment-grade credit assets by June, and for all of its credit funds by September.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
“The vast majority of the callers are individuals facing extortion or immediate physical danger,” said John Grace, the Ugandan activist who runs the hotline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
More effective, although unpremeditated, were the obstacles erected by the four little boys, Fred, Dan, Jack, and Bob, who kept running in and out of the rooms where the older girls were entertaining their callers.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
