What is Called?
The term “called” generally refers to the act of speaking to or attempting to reach someone by means of voice communication, especially over a telephone or similar communication system. It can mean initiating a connection for audio communication between two parties, such as a telephone call, where one party dials a number to reach another, and the other party answers to start a conversation. “Called” is also used more broadly to indicate the act of naming, summoning, requesting, or designating something or someone in various contexts including making a phone call, giving a name, or requesting someone’s presence.
Specifically, in telecommunications, “called” refers to the party who receives the telephone connection initiated by the caller, the one who is “called” is the recipient of the call.
“Call” and its derivatives vary in meaning including:
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To speak loudly to be heard at a distance
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To make a request or demand
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To summon or invite someone
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To name or designate
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To make a brief visit
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To temporarily transfer control in computing contexts.
Hence, “called” is essentially the past tense or past participle form of the verb “call,” meaning the action of reaching out to or summoning someone or something.
The term “Called” can have different meanings depending on the context.
- General Definition: “Called” is the past tense and past participle of the verb “call,” which means to name, summon, or contact someone, or to refer to something by a specific term. For example:
- “She called her friend to chat.”
- “The dog is called Max.”
- Programming Context: In programming, “called” often refers to invoking or executing a function, method, or procedure. For instance:
- In Python, you might say a function is “called” when its code is executed, e.g., my_function() is called to run its instructions.
- Example: “The function print() was called to display the text.”
- Telecommunication: In the context of phone calls or communication, “called” refers to the act of making a phone call or reaching out to someone via a communication device.
- Example: “I called her yesterday, but she didn’t answer.”
- Other Contexts:
- Games/Sports: In games like poker or bridge, “called” refers to matching a bet or action.
- Religious/Spiritual: Being “called” might refer to a spiritual or vocational summons, like being called to a profession or religious life.
- Legal/Military: In legal or military contexts, “called” could refer to being summoned to court or duty.
