on call

Available if summoned, as in Medical residents are required to be on call at least three nights a week. This expression originated as at call in the late 1500s. Also see at someone's beck and call.

Words Nearby on call

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

How to use on call in a sentence

She foresees a project manager, nurses, social workers, and guards, along with an on-call doctor and legal advisor.
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