HomeServicesBlogDictionariesContactSpanish Course
Back to search

Catcall

Noun CEFR B1
ˈkætkɔl

Definitions

  1. A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
  2. In the Eiffel programming language, a run-time error caused by use of the wrong data type.
  3. A shout, whistle, or comment of a harassingly sexual nature, usually made toward a passing woman.
  4. A whistle blown by a theatre-goer to express disapproval.

Equivalents

7 more languages

Examples

“There, amid the curses and catcalls of sweaty beer drinkers, the tour's headliners are set⟳ to engage⟳ in a hallowed feminist ritual:”
“In the Room for Debate⟳ forum Stopping Street Harassment, the editors ask⟳ four people to weigh⟳ in on the question⟳, Should current laws dealing with harassment be strengthened to include⟳ catcalling, or will that go too far in controlling speech and behavior? (A catcall in this context is defined as “a whistle, shout⟳, or comment⟳ of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.”)”
“At what period was the custom of blowing catcalls at the theatre discontinued?”
“Java does not let⟳ you make⟳ members more private than they are in parent classes, so has no catcall problem for changing availability. Thus to avoid⟳ catcalls with export problems, you should adopt⟳ a once-public, always-public policy.”

CEFR level

B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
See all B1 English words →

See also

Learn this word in context

See Catcall used in real conversations inside our free language course.

Start Free Course

Know this word better than we do? Language is a living thing — help us keep it growing. Collaborate with Babel Free