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:
A caller may be attempting to harvest your personal information, or they may be an aggressive marketer working for a broker that has purchased your contact details.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Be cautious of unexpected emails, phone calls, or text messages” related to the incident, including claims that the caller is from ETS or the state or a credit monitoring company, officials also warned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"The caller wasn't drunk, sounded sensible and said, get onto the guards, tell them to check the back routes or back roads and then repeats three times: Omagh, Omagh, Omagh."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
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
The caller urged Morse to question Secretary McNamara about this.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The bubble callers mean a price that hype has pushed above fundamental value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
In audio recordings included in the complaint, the AI bot said that it couldn’t disclose who paid for the line when asked by callers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Some callers offer up to $15,000 at 8% interest, but the callers refuse to disclose fees upfront.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Federal medical privacy laws generally prohibit institutions from sharing patient information, and the center's website says it requires callers to provide a code determined by the patient.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
There were four callers, one a deacon from the church, the constable of the town, and Goodman Cruff and his wife.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
