▪ I. recall, n.1
(rɪˈkɔːl, also with orig. U.S. pronunc. ˈriːkɔːl)
Also 8–9 recal.
[f. re- + call n., after the vb.]
1. a. The act of calling back; an invitation or summons to return to or from a place.
In recent use spec. the calling back of an actor, singer, or other performer to the stage or platform; an encore.
| 1611 Florio, Riapello, a recall, a reappeale. 1616 J. Lane Cont. Sqr.'s T. 195 Canac, on knees, did too Cambuscan fall, With begginge grace for Algarsifes recall. 1759 J. G. Cooper tr. Gresset's Ver Vert. iv. 191 There the blest day of his recall Is annually a festival. 1794 Ld. Auckland's Corr. (1862) III. 201, I shall..wait at Brussels for my letters of recall, and for orders. 1806 A. Duncan Nelson 86 The admiral..gave the signal of recal. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 139 About three quarters of a year elapsed between the recall of Ormond and the arrival of Clarendon at Dublin. 1869 Sphinx 27 Nov. 274/2 Even the gods forgot to applaud—about the highest compliment which could be paid to the actor, and worth fifty recalls. 1884 Mrs. H. Ward Miss Bretherton vii, He..escaped behind the scenes as soon as Miss Bretherton's last recall was over. 1964 Financial Times 3 Mar. 13/1 Several hundred were called back yesterday, and the recall will continue this week and next. The final assembly tracks for bicycles..are being restarted. 1969 T. Parker Twisting Lane 197 What's more I did a Borstal recall as well; that's like an extension of it. 1972 Sat. Rev. (U.S.) 17 June 6/3 The previous December, General Motors had announced the biggest recall ever—6·7 million Chevys were called in for breaking engine mounts. 1976 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 15 Dec. 5/1 More glass has been found in Coca-Cola bottles and..he expects the soft drink company will have to issue another recall. |
| fig. 1748 Richardson Clarissa Lett. lxxv. iii. 352 A poor girl..having no recalls from education. |
b. Naut. A signal flag used to call back a boat to a ship, or a vessel to a squadron.
| 1832 Marryat N. Forster xli, The recall is up on board of the commodore. 1833 ― P. Simple (1863) 117 The Sea⁓horse, who saw the recall up, did not repeat it, and our captain was determined not to see it. |
c. Any sound made as a signal to return; esp. Mil. a signal sounded on a musical instrument to call soldiers back to rank or camp.
| 1835 J. E. Alexander Sketches in Portugal vii. 160 The bugle sounds the recal for the skirmishers. 1855 Kingsley Westward Ho! ix, The trumpets blow a recall, and the sailors drop back again by twos and threes. 1880 J. H. Shorthouse John Inglesant xxii. 283 The horn below sounding the recall. |
2. The act of recalling to the mind. In Psychol., the act of calling to mind something previously learned or experienced, esp. in memory tests, usu. distinguished from recognition; also attrib.; total recall, the ability to call to mind every detail that caught the attention.
| 1651 tr. De-las-Coveras' Don Fenise 243 A history I will tell you, at the recall whereof this Cavalier..will understand [etc.]. 1887 Bain in Mind Apr. 161 The recall, resuscitation, or reproduction of ideas already formed. 1894 M. W. Calkins in Psychol. Rev. I. 480 The likelihood of recall increases, therefore, by the recency of the position. 1901 Ibid. VIII. 363 A somewhat similar feeling had that day been generated by wholly different content..and..there had been direct emotional recall through emotion. 1932 F. C. Bartlett Remembering xv. 256 The matter of recall is mainly a question of interest, while the manner of recall is chiefly one of temperament and character. 1934 R. Macaulay Going Abroad xvii. 134 Total Recall is always subject to the gaps in one's memory. 1953 Columbia-Viking Desk Encycl. 805/2 His complicated style seeks by total recall to recapture the minutest psychological and sensory detail. 1953 Miller & Selfridge in Saporta & Bastian Psycholinguistics (1961) 203/1 The same data are replotted to show the relation of the recall-score to the length of the list. 1963 J. D. Salinger Seymour: an Introduction 238, I was not..the least bit intoxicated by my own powers..of almost total recall. 1970 Jrnl. Gen. Psychol. Oct. 236 Part-whole learning interferes with motor recall just as it does with verbal recall. 1971 Ibid. Oct. 215 Recall-memory tests call for reproduction of previous input-output events. 1976 Ghatala & Levin in Levin & Allen Cognitive Learning in Children iii. 62 The possibility has been raised that the processes and/or types of stored information utilized in recognition decisions differ from those utilized in recall. 1977 M. W. Eysenck Human Memory ii. 35 On a subsequent, unexpected recall test, semantically processed material was much better recalled than phonemically or structurally processed material. 1977 Lancashire Life Feb. 70/3 Clara's memory may be less than the total recall she would have wished. |
3. a. The act or possibility of recalling, revoking, or annulling something done or past. Chiefly in phrases beyond recall, past recall, or without recall.
| 1667 Milton P.L. v. 885 Other Decrees Against thee are gon forth without recall. 1680 Dryden Span. Friar iii. ii, 'Tis done, and since 'tis done, 'tis past recall. 1790 in Dallas Amer. Law Rep. I. 143 After foreclosure, the land is in the mortgagee without any possibility of recal. 1833 H. Martineau Fr. Wines & Pol. i. 15 Since the bargain is..beyond recall it is no longer my affair. 1864 Browning Rabbi Ben Ezra xxvii, All that is, at all, Lasts ever, past recall. 1884 Law Times LXXVII. 25/2 The Chancery Division may possess power to order the recall of probate. |
b. A claim to rescind a bargain.
| 1894 Daily News 14 Apr. 2/7 If you buy that stone you buy it on your own entire judgment, and you have no ‘recall’ upon me. |
c. U.S. Removal of an elected government official from office by a system of petition and vote; this method of terminating a period of office. So recall election.
| 1902 Arena XXVIII. 470 If the Recall was in force in any locality, whenever a petition signed by any number over one-half of the registered voters of that locality for the recall of any officer of that locality was filed, that office would become vacant. 1911 Ann. Amer. Acad. Pol. & Soc. Sci. XXXVIII. 163 (heading) Popular control under the recall. 1970 Internat. & Compar. Law Q. 4th Ser. XIX. ii. 188 Electoral laws..or the right of recall, or the right to be elected to public office. 1976 Billings (Montana) Gaz. 16 June 3-b/1 Philadelphia (AP)—Critics of Mayor Frank L. Rizzo..filed petitions Tuesday asking for his recall. 1978 Detroit Free Press 16 Apr. 8a/4 Five suburban politicians have lost their jobs because they supported a MSHDA-backed housing program, and three more are facing a recall election in Birmingham next month. 1979 Tucson (Arizona) Citizen 3 Oct. 5a/1 A near-loss in a bitter recall election. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as recall clause, recall coverage, recall signal, recall telegram.
| 1976 Sunday Times 30 May 8/3 If by June 15 they can collect 145,448 signatures..then Rizzo has 10 days to resign or face a referendum... Hence, the procedure is known as the ‘recall clause’. |
| 1971 Wall St. Jrnl. 11 Aug. 28/1 Practically every week now brings news that a potentially faulty or dangerous product is being recalled... Many manufacturers are increasingly interested in..product recall coverage. |
| 1904 Daily Chron. 11 June 5/4 The eight blocking ships saw the recall signal right enough, but..disregarded it. 1916 H. G. Wells Mr. Britling sees it Through i. i. 27 He wished he knew of somebody who could send a recall telegram from London. |
▪ II. recall, n.2
(riːˈkɔːl)
[re- 5 a.]
A repeated call or demand.
| 1823 W. Taylor in Monthly Rev. CI. 254 He makes frequent calls and recalls on our attention. |
▪ III. recall, v.1
(rɪˈkɔːl)
Also 7–9 recal.
[f. re- + call v., prob. after F. rappeler or L. revocāre.]
1. a. trans. To call back, to summon (a person, or fig. a thing) to return to or from a place.
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. v. iv. 155 Let them be recall'd from their Exile. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i. 38 These..were all re-cald home to their fathers Pallaces. 1670 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 314 About the same time the King had resolved to recal the Lord Roberts back. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scot. (1817) 209 To recal those legions which guarded the frontier provinces. 1816 Shelley Mont Blanc 48 Some phantom, some faint image; till the breast From which they fled recalls them. 1874 Green Short Hist. iv. §1. 162 His father's death recalled him home. |
b. To bring back by (or as by) calling upon.
| 1582 T. Watson Centurie of Love To Rdr., Nothing is more easlie let flowne,..nothing later recalled backe againe, then the bitter blast of an euill spoaken man. 1632 Brome Northern Lass i. iii, There's no recalling time. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 926 But past who can recall, or don undoe? 1766 tr. Beccaria's Ess. Crimes xii. (1793) 47 Can the groans of a tortured wretch recal the time past, or reverse the crime he has committed? 1817 Shelley Rev. Islam xii. xxviii, Ye who must lament The death of those that made this world so fair, Cannot recall them now. 1834 M. Somerville Connex. Phys. Sc. ix. (1849) 78 The attraction of the earth would have recalled the greatest axis to the direction of the line joining the centres of the moon and earth. |
c. To summon or bring back (the attention, mind, etc.) to a subject. Also without const.
| 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 422 But him the gentle Angel by the hand Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. 21 We must recall their erring fancies to the acts of the Revolution. 1820 Shelley Let. Maria Gisb. 253, I recal My thoughts and bid you look upon the night. 1848 W. K. Kelly tr. L. Blanc's Hist. Ten Y. I. 430 Whether it was that the king wished to recall to his own person the too long diverted attention of the public [etc.]. |
2. a. To call or bring back to (or from) a certain state, occupation, etc.
| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. i. 66 If Henry were recall'd to life againe, These news would cause him once more yeeld the Ghost. 1621 T. Williamson tr. Goulart's Wise Vieillard 103, I will not bee recalled from my last end, to my first state and condition. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 330 Recall'd To life prolongd and promisd Race, I now Gladly behold [etc.]. 1766 Gray in Corr. w. Nicholls (1843) 63 He..by such afflictions recalls us from our wandering thoughts and idle merriment..to serious reflection. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne, etc. ii. 36 We are so constantly recalled to right and severe reason. 1821 Byron Cain iii. i, May his soft spirit..recall thee To peace and holiness! 1871 R. W. Dale Commandm. Introd. 9 The Commandments recall us to the better faith of earlier times. |
| refl. 1575–85 Abp. Sandys Serm. (Parker Soc.) 69 That all heretics not recalling themselves by admonition should be avoided. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients 58 Polemo, forced by the weightinesse of his speech, could not but recall himselfe by little and little. |
b. To bring back or down, to reduce, to a certain number. rare—1.
| 1836–7 Hamilton Metaph. xxxi. (1859) II. 231 Aristotle recalled the laws of this connection to four, or rather to three. |
3. a. To call or bring back (a circumstance, person, etc.) to the mind, memory, thoughts, etc.
| 1611 Bible Lam. iii. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore haue I hope. 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 106 Mary pondering oft, and oft to mind Recalling what remarkably had pass'd. 1779 J. Moore View Soc. Fr. II. xcv. 423 Any statue of the Virgin would serve as effectually as that to recal her to the memory. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) III. 303, I tried to recal myself to him by the image of Arcadia. 1817 Shelley Rev. Islam v. xxxvii, The sleepless silence did recal Laone to my thoughts. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 46 The name does not recall any one to me. |
b. To bring back to the mind; to cause one to remember.
| 1651 Hobbes Leviath. i. iv. 13 Wheras a Proper Name bringeth to mind one thing onely; Universals recall any one of those many. 1819 Shelley Julian 557 In towns, with little to recal Regret for the green country. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 225 The expectation of his death recalls the promise of his youth. |
c. To recollect, remember. † Also with over.
| 1671 Locke Essay Draft B (1931) 264 The mind can repeat..those ideas..by the power it has of recalling and bringing in view any of its own ideas. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. i. i. §17 'Tis strange that the Soul should never..recall over any of its pure native Thoughts. 1729 Butler Serm. Love of God Wks. 1874 II. 194 Recall what was before observed concerning the affection to moral characters. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne, etc. 247 We now begin to recall the Gothic labours of our ancestors. 1822 De Quincey Confess. 23, I cannot yet recal, without smiling, an incident which occurred at that time. 1888 Burgon Lives 12 Gd. Men II. v. 1 It would be easy to recall the names of men who eclipsed him by their achievements. |
4. To bring back, restore, revive, resuscitate (a feeling, quality, or state).
| 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 61 Might liquid teares..recall his Life; I would be blinde with weeping, sicke with grones. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 95 How soon Would highth recal high thoughts. 1727 Gay Begg. Op. iii. xiii, Their Eyes, their Lips, their Busses, Recall my Love. 1819 Shelley Cenci iii. ii. 54 Once gone, You cannot now recall your sister's peace. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. lxxxv, Autumn..Recalls, in change of light or gloom, My old affection of the tomb. |
5. a. To revoke, undo, annul (a deed, sentence, decree, etc.).
| 1588 Greene Pandosto (1607) 18, I haue committed such a bloodie fact, as repent I may: but recall I cannot. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 148 Passed sentence may not be recal'd. 1659 H. Thorndike Wks. (1846) II. 505 A man of so much knowledge as to think himself fit to recall the laws of his country. 1686 tr. Chardin's Coronat. Solyman 45 You have not kept your word with him,..he recalls his own. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xl. (1869) II. 497 They recalled the hasty decree. 1828 D'Israeli Chas. I, II. iii. 84 Charles instantly recalled the new duties on merchandize, which he had imposed. 1885 Manch. Exam. 27 Feb. 5/2 They have no more right..than a chess player who finds out that he has made a bad move has to recall it. |
b. To revoke, take back (a gift).
| 1608 Shakes. Per. iii. i. 25 We here below Recall not what we give. 1850 Tennyson Tithonus 49 The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts. |
† c. absol. To retract. Obs. rare—1.
| 1598 Marston Sco. Villanie ii. vi. 201, When I..heard him sweare I was a Pythian, Yet straight recald, and sweares I did but quote Out of Xilinum.., I scarce could hold. |
Hence reˈcalled ppl. a.; reˈcaller.
| 1640 R. Baillie Canterb. Self-convict. Pref. 10 Would not..all of you who shall remaine in life, bee most earnest recallers..of your owne Countrie men. 1895 Westm. Gaz. 1 Oct. 7/1 The recalled Governor of Indo-China. |
Add: [1.] d. Computing. To transfer or call (a program, data, etc.) again to a location in local memory where it can be processed, displayed on screen, etc. rapidly.
| 1966 Proc. AFIPS Conf. XXIX. 150/1 An alphanumeric or special character macro identification code used in recalling the macro is keyed next. 1976 Chemical Week 3 Mar. 31/2 It has put quality-related data on a time-sharing computer where it's easily recalled. 1984 Mail on Sunday 2 Dec. (Colour Suppl.) 6/2 (Advt.), You can keep 16 preset programmes in the memory... Each one can be recalled at the touch of a button. 1988 Which? Nov. 524/3 Hard disk drives are much faster at storing and recalling programs..than floppy disk ones. |
▪ IV. recall, v.2
(riːˈkɔːl)
[re- 5 a.]
intr. and trans. To call again, call a second time.
| 1794 Burns She says she lo'es me, etc. iii, While falling, recalling, The amorous thrush concludes his sang. 1863 Times 19 Mar. 13/1 He then proceeded to recall the names in a regular way. |