English Reference
noun

caller

n.
US /ˈkɔɫɝ/ UK /kˈɔːlɐ/ call·er UK spelling callers

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the person who is making a telephone call to you.

    the individual who initiates a telephonic communication.

    Simple

    The caller hung up before I could reach the phone.

    In context

    The receptionist asked the caller to hold while she attempted to locate the manager in the warehouse.

    phoner
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    a person who visits a place or someone's home.

    a person who pays a visit, often used in a slightly formal or traditional context.

    Simple

    We weren't expecting any callers so late in the evening.

    In context

    The old manor house rarely received callers, as the owner preferred a life of quiet seclusion.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    the person who calls out numbers in a game like bingo or tells dancers which moves to make.

    the person responsible for announcing numbers in games of chance or directing participants in traditional dances.

    Simple

    The bingo caller shouted the numbers clearly so everyone could hear.

    In context

    The square dance caller kept the energy high, guiding the couples through a series of increasingly complex patterns.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a piece of computer code that starts or runs another piece of code.

    a function or routine that invokes another function, which is known as the callee.

    Simple

    The error happened because the caller sent the wrong type of data.

    In context

    If the callee encounters an exception, it must be handled by the caller to prevent the entire application from crashing.

    Usage

    Often used in the context of stack traces or debugging to identify the source of a command.

    invoker
    callee

From Middle English callar, equivalent to call + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English callar
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated