house call

IPA/ˈhaʊs kɔːl/
IPA/ˈhaʊs kɔːl/

house call — noun

1. A trained professional — such as a physician, a nurse, or a therapist — travels

1.名詞B2
釋義

A trained professional — such as a physician, a nurse, or a therapist — travels to someone's home rather than seeing them in a clinic, in order to examine, treat, or support them.

例句

Greta's mother receives a weekly house call from a physiotherapist for her exercises.

collocation: receive a house call

Omar's cat was too frightened to visit the clinic, so the vet arranged a house call.

collocation: arrange a house call

同義詞
  • home visit

    broader term used for social work, healthcare, and charity visits, often without implying a professional fee

  • doctor's visit

    everyday informal equivalent of the prototypical doctor house call

  • domiciliary visit

    formal British term, used mainly in official healthcare documents

文法句型

make a house call

receive a house call

用法筆記

The prototypical house call involves a doctor visiting a patient at home — this is the original and still the most familiar scenario. The term also covers visits by nurses, therapists, social workers, and vets. It is not normally used for tradespeople such as plumbers or electricians (see sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌The plumber made a house call' sounds odd in British English (use 'call-out' instead).
✅The plumber made a call-out.
💡In American English, 'house call' can refer to tradespeople (see sense 2), but in British English, 'call-out' or 'service visit' is preferred for non-medical visits.

2. a visit to a home to carry out a requested task, such as repairing equipment, pe

2.名詞B2
釋義

a visit to a home to carry out a requested task, such as repairing equipment, performing maintenance, or providing consultation

例句

Mauricio called a repairman who charges extra for house calls on weekends.

collocation: charge for a house call

Sivan hired a plumber who makes house calls within two hours of receiving a request.

collocation: make a house call (tradesperson)

同義詞
  • service visit

    neutral term for any scheduled home visit by a professional or tradesperson

  • call-out

    British term, especially for urgent repair visits

文法句型

make a house call

charge for a house call

用法筆記

This broader sense is most common in American English. In British English, service visits by tradespeople are usually called 'call-outs' or 'service visits' rather than 'house calls'.

常見錯誤

❌The electrician did a house call.
✅The electrician did a call-out.
💡In British English, 'call-out' is the preferred term for tradespeople's visits.