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:
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
Between the heavy accent of the caller and unclear audio, she caught some words—“compulsory preliminary investigation” and a possible reference to the “Ministry of State Security”—which is China’s primary intelligence agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Viewers could not hear what the caller said next, but Anchalee was seen reacting in shock.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The caller said he was from nearby New Port Richey in Pasco County, verified her identity, then asked her to hold for a sheriff’s deputy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
“Boys, is it? Thought you was the tax collector. Haven’t had a caller in a dog’s age. Happy to have you,” he said in a loud voice.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Johnson recommended that beneficiaries be careful to guard against unsolicited callers claiming to be from insurers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
In May alone, official data showed that 304 frequent callers to the Welsh Ambulance Service generated 2,999 incidents.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Coleman explained that when answering the phones, the first step is often correcting the way callers think.
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
Although Mary Surratt had told him that afternoon to expect some nighttime callers, they had never shown up.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
