caller

caller — noun

1. the person at the other end of a telephone line — the one who has dialled a numb

1.nounB1
Definition

the person at the other end of a telephone line — the one who has dialled a number, rather than the one who picks up.

Example

Aiko told the caller to ring back after lunch.

tell + the caller + to-infinitive

Our screen lights up when an unknown caller is on the line.

collocation: unknown caller

Common collocations
  • unknown caller
  • first-time caller
  • next caller
  • the caller hung up
Synonyms
  • phoner

    informal, mainly British

  • dialer

    American spelling; less common in conversation

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the caller (subject)

an unknown caller

Usage Note

Refers to the person who started the call. The person who answers is usually called 'the recipient' or simply 'the person who picked up'.

Common Mistakes

I phoned home, so I was the caller's mother.
I phoned home, so my mother was the one I called.
the caller is the one who dials, not the one who answers.

2. someone who comes to the door of a house, office, or shop for a short visit — of

2.nounB2
Definition

someone who comes to the door of a house, office, or shop for a short visit — often briefly, on business or to deliver something.

Example

Mrs Patel asked the housekeeper to send the caller through to the study.

send the caller through — formal household register

We had three callers at the door before breakfast on Sunday.

callers at the door + time frame

Common collocations
  • a caller at the door
  • show the caller in
  • an unexpected caller
Synonyms
  • visitor

    neutral and modern; the everyday choice

  • guest

    implies invitation and longer stay

Grammar Patterns

have + a caller

a caller at the door

Usage Note

Slightly old-fashioned and formal compared with 'visitor'. Common in British novels, vicarages, and formal household contexts; rare in everyday modern speech.

Common Mistakes

The museum had two thousand callers last weekend.
The museum had two thousand visitors last weekend.
for tourists or sightseers, use 'visitors', not 'callers'.

3. the person at a square dance, barn dance, or similar folk event whose job is to

3.nounC1
Definition

the person at a square dance, barn dance, or similar folk event whose job is to shout out each move in time with the music so that the dancers know what to do next.

Example

Priya followed the caller as she shouted 'swing your partner' across the barn.

caller + shouted instruction in quotes

A cheerful caller stood on the small stage with a microphone in one hand.

scene-setting: stage + microphone

Common collocations
  • square-dance caller
  • the caller shouted
  • a barn-dance caller
Synonyms
  • prompter

    broader; can name anyone who calls out cues

Grammar Patterns

the caller + leads / shouts / signals

Usage Note

Specific to traditional folk dance contexts (square dance, contra dance, barn dance). Outside those scenes the word will not be understood without explanation.

Common Mistakes

The dance teacher was the caller of our ballet class.
The dance teacher led our ballet class.
'caller' is only for folk-dance shouters, not for any dance instructor.

4. the person running a bingo session, whose job is to draw each numbered ball at r

4.nounC1
Definition

the person running a bingo session, whose job is to draw each numbered ball at random and announce the number aloud so players can mark it on their cards.

Example

Granny Hana waited eagerly as the caller read out 'two fat ladies, eighty-eight'.

caller + read out + bingo phrase

The caller paused for a moment so the older players could check their cards.

caller + paused — pacing the game

Common collocations
  • bingo caller
  • the caller called the numbers
  • a professional caller
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the caller + reads / announces / picks

Usage Note

Specific to bingo and similar number-draw games. In American English the same role is also called the 'bingo announcer'.

Common Mistakes

The lottery caller pulled the winning ticket on TV.
The lottery host pulled the winning ticket on TV.
for lotteries and TV shows use 'host' or 'announcer'; 'caller' is fixed to bingo-style games.

5. a bird, frog, or other creature that produces a loud, high-pitched cry — usually

5.nounC2
Definition

a bird, frog, or other creature that produces a loud, high-pitched cry — usually to warn other animals, mark territory, or attract a mate.

Example

The little tree frog is the noisiest caller in the rainforest at dusk.

noisiest caller + habitat detail

Rohan recorded several dawn callers from his tent in the forest.

dawn callers — collocation for early-morning birds

Common collocations
  • dawn caller
  • the loudest caller
  • a persistent caller
Synonyms
  • vocaliser

    scientific term used in animal-behaviour studies

Grammar Patterns

a loud / persistent / dawn caller

Usage Note

Mostly used in nature writing, field biology, and bird-watching guides. In ordinary speech people say 'a noisy bird' or 'a loud frog' instead.

Common Mistakes

A baby crying in the night is the loudest caller in our house.
A baby crying in the night is the loudest noise in our house.
this animal sense is not used jokingly for humans; pick a noun like 'noise' or 'crier'.

caller — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In the telephone sense, 'caller' is the everyday neutral word for the person who has dialled the number — the one whose voice you hear when you pick up. 'Phoner' is informal and mostly British; you might see it in expressions like 'cold phoner' but it sounds casual and is rare in writing. 'Dialer' (American spelling 'dialer', British 'dialler') is more often used for an automatic system or device that places calls — for example a 'predictive dialer' in a call centre — rather than for the human on the line. 'Recipient' is the opposite role: the person who answers. So a customer-service report might say, 'The caller asked for a refund, and the recipient transferred her to billing.' If in doubt, 'caller' is the safe, professional choice.

caller ↗phonerdialerrecipient ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • caller ID
  • caller display
  • first-time caller
  • regular caller
  • bingo caller
  • square-dance caller

Phrases

  • the caller hung up
  • screen the caller
  • put the caller on hold
  • the next caller, please

Prepositions

  • caller from (a place)
  • caller to (a number / show)
  • caller at the door

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed from the verb 'call' plus the agent suffix '-er', meaning literally 'one who calls'. It has been in English since at least the 14th century, originally for any person shouting or summoning. As new ways of 'calling' appeared — visiting a house, leading a dance, drawing bingo balls, and finally placing a telephone call — each gave rise to its own specialised sense. The Scots adjective 'caller' meaning 'fresh' or 'cool' is unrelated: it comes from Middle English and Old Norse roots tied to coolness and freshness, and only later sounded the same as the agent noun.