expect a call

NOUN

[/ɪkˈspekt ə kɔːl/]

to anticipate or wait for someone to telephone you

💡 Concept

She keeps checking her phone, ready to expect a call from the hospital any minute.

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ɪkˈspekt ə kɔːl/

🇬🇧 UK/ɪkˈspekt ə kɔːl/

🌳Etymology

Prefixex--

Rootspect

Origin

Expect derives from Latin expectare, formed from ex- (out) and spectare (to look), literally meaning 'to look out for' or 'to await'. Call comes from Old Norse kalla, meaning 'to shout' or 'to summon', and entered English through Norse-influenced vocabulary.

Breakdown

Expect: ex- (out) + spectare (to look/watch). Call: from Old Norse kalla (to shout, summon). Together, the phrase means to await an incoming vocalization or summons.

🎵Rhyme

callallhallfall

call

all

hall

fall

🔗Collocations

expect a phone call

expect an important call

expect a call back

expect a business call

expect a return call

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“I can't leave the house because I'm expecting a call from the pizza delivery guy.”

“She's been expecting a call from the job interview for three days now.”

😄 Fun example

“Don't expect a call from your ex at 2 AM unless there's a zombie apocalypse.”

“The doctor said she's expecting a call with the test results tomorrow.”

📚Related Words

Synonyms

await a callanticipate a callwait for a calllook forward to a call

Antonyms

ignore a callavoid a callreject a call

phone callcallbackmissed callincoming calloutgoing call

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expect a call — to anticipate or wait for someone to telephone you

Example Sentences