[f. CALL v. + -ER1.] One who calls, in various senses of the vb.; esp.
1. a. One who cries aloud, or proclaims. b. One who invokes, summons or exhorts in a loud voice. † c. A petitioner, an appellant, one who challenges. d. The convener of a meeting.
c. 1502. J. Younge, in Leland, Collect. (1774), IV. 288. The King called them before hym, and demaunded the Cause of ther Difference. The Caller sayd, Syre, he hath taken from me my Lady Paramour.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 823/1. Callers vppon the name of God.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. xx. 98. We be bounde to the caller for this also.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 907/1. The caller of the court was one Cooke of Winchester.
1635. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 98. Item to the caller in the court, 4d.
1841. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), VI. 246. Letting the callers of the meeting have their way.
1866. W. R. King, Sportsm. & Nat. in Canada, iii. 52. [Moose-hunting] The caller … retires, with a reserve gun, to the rear of the sportsman.
2. One who pays a short or complimentary visit. (The chief current sense.)
1786. Mad. D’Arblay, Diary (1854), III. 30. Making him keep off all callers, by telling them I am dressing for the Queen.
1812. Chalmers, Lett., in Life (1851), I. 296. We have had a flow of forenoon callers.
1865. Lond. Rev., 23 Dec., 662/1. The most successful caller, i. e. the caller who finds no one at home.
3. Sc. A driver.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 73. The caller cryed: How, haike vpon hight.
1805. Barry, Orkney Isl., 447 (Jam.). The caller goes before the beasts backward with a whip.
4. Of other than persons: a. fig. A thing that calls. b. A call-bird, a decoy-bird.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 308. The sight of it is rather a common caller vpon him to bee faithfull to him.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., II. s.v. Lark, The Way of taking Larks is with Nets … the Callers are set upon the Ground.
5. With advbs., as caller away, off, on, etc.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., II. VII. (Arb.), 127. My importunate caulers on.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., lxvi. 142. His … caller away is his study.
1721. St. German’s Doctor & Stud., 295. Callers on to have that point reformed.
1878. F. S. Williams, Midl. Railw., 642. The ‘caller-off’ shouts out to the checker the name and address upon the package.
