# cattle call

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cattle-call
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An audition which is open to the public and thus draws a large number of applicants, many of whom are inexperienced.

## Examples

- The audition was a total cattle call with hundreds of people waiting.
- Because the director opened the audition to everyone, it turned into a chaotic cattle call.
- The young actor felt discouraged by the cattle call, knowing that the sheer volume of applicants made his chances of being noticed nearly impossible.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.