An act of drawing attention by naming, shouting, labeling, or summoning, with uses in public criticism, page design, service work, and older formal challenges.
A formal challenge, especially the old-fashioned challenge to a duel or contest.
Examples
The insult was treated as a callout to a duel.
In the old story, the captain answered the callout at dawn.
The formal callout named the place and the weapons.
Modern readers may miss the force of a dueling callout.
The play turns a comic callout into a matter of honor.
Similar words
challenge
defiance
provocation
summons
dare
ultimatum
contest
taunt
Etymology
Formed in English from the verb phrase call out, with noun uses recorded in the late nineteenth century.
FAQ
Is callout one word or two?
Callout is the closed noun. The verb is usually written as two words, call out.
What is a callout in a diagram?
It is a label, note, or inset that points to a specific detail or makes it stand out.
What does callout mean in service work?
It means a request or summons that sends someone to a job, often for emergency or on-call work.
Can callout mean public criticism?
Yes. A public criticism or naming of a problem can be called a callout.
Is a callout the same as a caption?
Not always. A caption usually describes a whole image, while a callout points to or highlights a particular part.
Can callout mean a challenge to a duel?
Yes, but that sense is archaic and mostly appears in historical contexts.
What is the origin of callout?
It comes from the verb phrase call out, with noun uses recorded from the late nineteenth century.
Comments & contributions
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Frosty Skylark
Jul 13
To my ear a callout on socials sounds harsher than a shout-out. If you are praising a teammate, shout-out is the safer word
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Perky Falcon
Jul 9
i came here because i kept typing callout the bug in tickets lol. so annoying that noun and verb split
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Soft Quail
Jul 4
In software/docs a callout can just be a boxed note like Tip, Warning, Info. No arrow at all. Obsidian people say callout for those blockquote boxes, which confused me coming from print layout
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Jaunty Hamster
Jun 26
UK tradespeople usually write it call-out, especially in call-out charge or call-out fee. Thats the money for coming to your house, before parts or actual repair time.
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Rainy Newt
Jul 2
Australia too. I see call-out fee on plumber invoices, not just callout
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Nifty Caribou
Jun 16
Fight fans use this in a very current way: a post-fight callout is when the winner grabs the mic and names the person they want next. Not old duel language, more UFC/boxing promo talk.