roll call

American  

noun

roll calls plural

1. the calling of a list of names, as of soldiers or students, for checking attendance.

2. a military signal for this, as one given by a drum.

3. a voting process, especially in the U.S. Congress, in which legislators are called on by name and allowed either to cast their vote or to abstain.

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roll call British  

noun

1. the reading aloud of an official list of names, those present responding when their names are read out

2. the time or signal for such a reading

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• roll calls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of roll call

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

And after this week, there is a growing possibility it could happen in full daylight with a roll call vote in the Senate.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

Ken Rudd said he was ex-Army himself and understood there was a nominal roll call and an electronic roll call on the base.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The effect is as interesting as reading a grade-school roll call.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Eastern on Wednesday, and a roll call could be tight.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

The sound of footsteps on the floor above woke us, and we knew it was time to come out for roll call.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz