Call and response is a structure in which one phrase calls out and another phrase answers it.
How to use it
It works between a voice and an instrument, or between two instruments. Leaving a rest makes the answering phrase easier to hear.
How it differs from related terms
It is a structure that creates an exchange, so its role differs from an obbligato, which is a countermelody.
Keeping the phrases short enough that the question and the answer are clear holds it together.
