1
noun
reply, words spoken or written when someone has spoken to you or asked you a question; he phoned the laboratory but there was no answer; have the tests provided an answer to the problem?
2
verb
to reply or speak or write words when someone has spoken to you or asked you a question; when asked if the patient would survive, the consultant did not answer
to answer an emergency call = to go to the place where the call came from to bring help