caller
1 Americanadjective
-
(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
-
(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:
From the invention of the answering machine to caller ID, Hall said people “really enjoy” having the ability to control when, and whether, they answer the phone.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
It was punctuated by an automatic voice saying the caller was a prisoner, which is usual practice for calls from Iranian prisons.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
She insisted she hadn’t given the caller any information — but when I asked what the person had actually said, she couldn’t remember.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Viewers could not hear what the caller said next, but Anchalee was seen reacting in shock.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Then, a week later, someone from the school again contacted the hotline, but the worker assured the caller that you were okay and the child protection team didn’t follow it up!”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
The book alleges: "Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time."
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
For the past year, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing from callers wanting to learn more about how Mississippi improved its public schools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Johnson recommended that beneficiaries be careful to guard against unsolicited callers claiming to be from insurers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Coleman explained that when answering the phones, the first step is often correcting the way callers think.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
One day, after an especially long line of callers had come and gone, Nathan said bluntly that he was having no more of it.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
