call out

call out idiom
  1. Summon into action or service, as in The governor called out the militia. [Mid-1400s]
  2. Challenge to a fight, as in To avenge the insult, Arthur called him out. This term originated with dueling and is dying out. [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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