Signs for CALL

Definition: To dial (a telephone number).

To dial (a telephone number).

Verb inflection: "call me (by phone)".

Related signs: call around.

Definition: To give (an infant or animal) or a specific name; have a specified name.

Definition: To demand or ask for the presence of; summon.

To speak loudly, as to attract attention; shout; to cry out in a loud voice.

Related signs: BECKON.

Usage/Grammar

Get more with the PatronPlus subscription to unlock the premium content and more features, including ad-free for clean and fast page loading. Already a subscriber? Login.

Deaf Culture and tidbits

Deaf Anecdote

"Phone One Way" by a Deaf woman (2009): "Strolling in the grocery store, hearing people around me suddenly looked at me with a perplexed look on their faces. Strange, I thought. What's up?

"My boyfriend later told me, signing with a loving tone (translated as) 'Thank you for the phone call. That was so sweet.' What? I never did. He insisted that I phoned him with my phone earlier in the day; with the silence on my end, he spoke loudly 'I love you!' for me to feel it on the phone. Back at the store, my PDA accidentally phoned him itself in my purse and it said loudly 'I love you!' coming out of the purse, while I strutted around unknowingly." Story from handspeak.com.

Ad-free Patron: To remove ads or/and unlock premium content, subscribe today or learn more about the features.

~~ Feeling lucky? ¯\(°_o)/¯ Random word ~~

Search Tips and Pointers

Search/Filter: Enter a keyword in the filter/search box to see a list of available words with the "All" selection. Click on the page number if needed. Click on the blue link to look up the word. For best result, enter a partial word to see variations of the word.

Screenshot of dictionary search with notes
Screenshot of the search dictionary

Alphabetical letters: It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B, etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words and pages in the list.

For best result, enter a short word in the search box, then select the alphetical letter (and page number if needed), and click on the blue link.

Screenshot of dictionary search with notes
Screenshot of the search dictionary

Don't forget to click "All" back when you search another word with a different initial letter.

If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)

Add a Word: This dictionary is not exhaustive; ASL signs are constantly added to the dictionary. If you don't find a word/sign, you can send your request (only if a single link doesn't show in the result).

Videos: The first video may be NOT the answer you're looking for. There are several signs for different meanings, contexts, and/or variations. Browsing all the way down to the next search box is highly recommended.

Video speed: Signing too fast in the videos? See HELP in the footer.

ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.