In programming, "calling methods" refers to the process of executing a specific function or procedure defined within a class or object. When a method is called, the program temporarily pauses its current operations to perform the tasks specified in that method. This allows for organized and reusable code, as methods can be called multiple times from different parts of the program. Methods can take inputs, known as parameters, and may return outputs, known as return values. For example, in the context of an object like Car, a method called startEngine might be invoked to initiate the car's engine, allowing the program to perform related actions efficiently.