roll call

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of roll call

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

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

Even if he were right, though, the rapid-fire historical roll call of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” deserves our respect as a crucial artifact of a pre-internet America.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025

At morning roll call, the prisoners could not see one another, but they could hear each person state their full name and home village.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025

By the end of the roll call, James Abram Garfield had won enough votes to become the Republican Party's nominee, beating out Grant, Blaine, and Sherman.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow