[Grammar] Call Off

[busand]

According to dictionaries, "call off" means to tell a dog or person chasing and/or attacking another to stop doing such act. But on google, sentences of the following type, in the context off policing searching for a missing person, could be found:

"They called off the searchers."
"They called off the rescuers."

Could it be an error?

 

[5jj]

No

 

[busand]

But according to definition 2 (the most appropriate definition), the object of "call off" must be doing some attacking or attack-related chasing. Searchers and rescuers don't normally attack or chase a missing person.

 

[Rover_KE]

What is definition 1 in your dictionary?

Rover

 

[5jj]

But according to definition 2 (the most appropriate definition), the object of "call off" must be doing some attacking or attack-related chasing. Searchers and rescuers don't normally attack or chase a missing person.

Then the definition is not the most appropriate, is it?

 

[busand]

According to 5jj's dictionary, the definitions for "call off" are:

1: to decide that something will not happen
1a: to decide to stop something that is already happening
2: to tell an animal or person to stop attacking or chasing someone
3: call off the/your dogs informal to stop criticizing or attacking another person

Which one should I use?

 

[bhaisahab]

Thread closed. Clone of banned user.

 

[5jj]

Thread closed. Clone of banned user.

Do you think she'll ever learn?

Silly question; of course she won't. Still, I suppose we should be grateful. How could we mods justify our enormous salaries, private jets and palaces on Phuket if we didn't have bugs like her to swat from time to time?

 

[bhaisahab]

Do you think she'll ever learn?

Silly question; of course she won't. Still, I suppose we should be grateful. How could we mods justify our enormous salaries, private jets and palaces on Phuket if we didn't have bugs like her to swat from time to time?

I swapped my palace on Phuket for a (small) island in the Caribbean. ;-)