caller

¹ American  

[kaw-ler] / ˈkɔ lər /

noun

1. a person or thing that calls.

2. a person who makes a short visit.

3. Dance. a person who directs the movements of dancers, as at a hoedown or square dance, by calling out the successive figures as the music plays.

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caller ² American  

[kal-er, kah-ler] / ˈkæl ər, ˈkɑ lər /

adjective

Scot. and North England.

1. (of fruit, fish, vegetables, etc.) fresh; recently picked or caught.

2. refreshing.

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caller ¹ British  

/ ˈkɔːlə /

noun

1. a person or thing that calls, esp a person who makes a brief visit

2. a racing commentator

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caller ² British  

/ ˈkɒlər, ˈkælə, ˈkælər /

adjective

1. (of food, esp fish) fresh

2. cool

   a caller breeze

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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.

Less commonly, caller means a guest or a person who makes a short visit. This usage was more common before the widespread use of telephones, but it is still sometimes used to refer to formal visits. Sometimes, caller specifically meant that the person was a date or a romantic partner.

• Used in a sentence: My house was a mess because I didn’t expect so many callers to come over today.

Caller can also mean a person whose job is to shout directions or instructions, such as a person directing a square dance or a person calling out numbers in a game of bingo.

• Used in a sentence: My heart was racing as I waited for the caller to shout “B5,” the last number I needed to win.

Related Words

See visitor.

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

The person I spoke to seemed to know who I was—possibly from caller ID—and appeared to have information about me and the fraudulent charge.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The person I spoke to seemed to know who I was — possibly from caller ID — and appeared to have information about me and the fraudulent charge.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Holm's family understand that the caller had a Jamaican accent.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Documentarian Geeta Gandbhir retraces this slow-moving tragedy through the body camera footage of the exasperated officers who know that the caller, not the children, is the problem.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

The name of the last caller was displayed.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Related Words

• guest