Cards (originally and chiefly Whist). A signal made by playing an unusually high card on one trick, followed by a low one on the next; the action…

at Bridge and Whist, a call for trumps: see to call for —— 5 at call, v. phrasal verbs 2 (Funk's Stand. Dict., 1895).

a bid which shows that the strength of the caller's hand does not exceed a certain value, and often that he or she does not expect to make the…