On call meaning in English
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Definition
to be on call: to be available to make working visits when needed (for example, doctors, vets)
The doctor is on call tonight. If any sick people call him, he will make a working visit to their house.
Examples
- "My name is Dr. Robert Loblaw and I am the on-call physician at the emergency room at Mt."
- "He told me that his wife is on call next Friday night, and that he has already found a baby sitter for his son."
Exercise 1
Judging by the context of the email, if someone is "on call", he or she is probably .
Judging by the context of the email, if someone is "on call", he or she is probably a doctor or surgeon.
a doctor or surgeon: The expression "on call" is used to indicate that someone is "on duty" or must be available to work at any moment. A "surgeon" is said to be "on call" when she is not physically at the hospital, but can be "called in" or asked to work at any time.
in the military: Although soldiers and military men answer the "call of duty" of their country, someone who is on-call is not necessarily in the military.
a secretary or personal assistant: To be "on-call" does not express that someone uses the telephone frequently, but rather that someone is "on duty" or must be available to work at any moment.
currently speaking on the phone: In order to express that someone is in the act of speaking on the telephone we could say that they are "on a call" or "on the phone". To be "on-call" is a completely different expression.
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