diff --git a/Doc/lib/libsubprocess.tex b/Doc/lib/libsubprocess.tex
index 77bd83e7c29..308c1dd40f9 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libsubprocess.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libsubprocess.tex
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ process.  (Windows only)
 
 This module also defines one shortcut function:
 
-\begin{funcdesc}{call}{*args, **kwargs}
+\begin{funcdesc}{call}{*popenargs, **kwargs}
 Run command with arguments.  Wait for command to complete, then
 return the \member{returncode} attribute.
 
diff --git a/Lib/subprocess.py b/Lib/subprocess.py
index 9e326fbea42..40b04fe39ff 100644
--- a/Lib/subprocess.py
+++ b/Lib/subprocess.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class Popen(args, bufsize=0, executable=None,
 
 This module also defines two shortcut functions:
 
-call(*args, **kwargs):
+call(*popenargs, **kwargs):
     Run command with arguments.  Wait for command to complete, then
     return the returncode attribute.
 
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ def _cleanup():
 STDOUT = -2
 
 
-def call(*args, **kwargs):
+def call(*popenargs, **kwargs):
     """Run command with arguments.  Wait for command to complete, then
     return the returncode attribute.
 
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ def call(*args, **kwargs):
 
     retcode = call(["ls", "-l"])
     """
-    return Popen(*args, **kwargs).wait()
+    return Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs).wait()
 
 
 def list2cmdline(seq):