WAKE-UP CALL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wake-up call mean? 

• WAKE-UP CALL (noun)
  The noun WAKE-UP CALL has 2 senses:

1. a warning to take action concerning something that was overlooked or neglected

2. a telephone call that you request be made a specific time in order to wake you up at that time (especially in hotels)

  Familiarity information: WAKE-UP CALL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WAKE-UP CALL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A warning to take action concerning something that was overlooked or neglected

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

the bombing was a wake-up call to strengthen domestic security

Hypernyms ("wake-up call" is a kind of...):

warning (a message informing of danger)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A telephone call that you request be made a specific time in order to wake you up at that time (especially in hotels)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

she left a wake-up call for 7 a.m.

Hypernyms ("wake-up call" is a kind of...):

call; phone call; telephone call (a telephone connection)

 Context examples 

This is a bit of a wake-up call that, as technology advances, we need to update the underlying data and processes that fuel ocean models to ensure they yield the best possible predictions, said Mike Lomas, a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and an author of the paper.

(Study reveals new patterns of key ocean nutrient, National Science Foundation)