A call of the House
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An imperative sum- mons sent to every Member of Parliament to attend. This is done when the sense of the whole House is required.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “A call of the House” mean?
An imperative sum- mons sent to every Member of Parliament to attend. This is done when the sense of the whole House is required.
Is “A call of the House” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.