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Lobby - 9 dictionary results
lob⋅by
[lob-ee] 
noun, plural -bies, verb, -bied, -by⋅ing.–noun
| 1. | an entrance hall, corridor, or vestibule, as in a public building, often serving as an anteroom; foyer. |
| 2. | a large public room or hall adjacent to a legislative chamber. |
| 3. | a group of persons who work or conduct a campaign to influence members of a legislature to vote according to the group's special interest. |
–verb (used without object)
| 4. | to solicit or try to influence the votes of members of a legislative body. |
–verb (used with object)
| 5. | to try to influence the actions of (public officials, esp. legislators). |
| 6. | to urge or procure the passage of (a bill), by lobbying. |
Origin:
1545–55; < ML lobia, laubia covered way < OHG *laubia (later lauba) arbor, deriv. of laub leaf
1545–55; < ML lobia, laubia covered way < OHG *laubia (later lauba) arbor, deriv. of laub leaf
Related forms:
lob⋅by⋅er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To Lobby
| lob·by (lŏb'ē) n. pl. lob·bies
v. intr. To try to influence the thinking of legislators or other public officials for or against a specific cause: lobbying for stronger environmental safeguards; lobbied against the proliferation of nuclear arms. v. tr.
[Medieval Latin lobia, monastic cloister, of Germanic origin.] lob'by·er, lob'by·ist n., lob'by·ism n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Lobby
Lob"by\, n.; pl. Lobbies. [LL. lobium, lobia, laubia, a covered portico fit for walking, fr. OHG. louba, G. laube, arbor. See Lodge.]1. (Arch.) A passage or hall of communication, especially when large enough to serve also as a waiting room. It differs from an antechamber in that a lobby communicates between several rooms, an antechamber to one only; but this distinction is not carefully preserved. 2. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly; hence, the persons, collectively, who frequent such a place to transact business with the legislators; any persons, not members of a legislative body, who strive to influence its proceedings by personal agency .[U.S.] 3. (Naut.) An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck. 4. (Agric.) A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges. trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard. Lobby member, a lobbyist. [Humorous cant, U. S.]Lobby
Lob"by\, v. t. To urge the adoption or passage of by soliciting members of a legislative body; as, to lobby a bill. [U.S.]
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Lobby
Spanish:
vestíbulo,
German:
die Vorhalle,
Japanese:
ロビー
lobby
A group whose members share certain goals and work to bring about the passage, modification, or defeat of laws that affect these goals. Lobbies (also called interest groups or pressure groups) can be long-standing (such as minority groups struggling to have their civil rights guaranteed) or ad hoc (such as a community threatened by proposed construction of a nuclear power plant). Lobbies may use grassroots methods, such as local rallies and campaigns, to build support for their cause and often employ professional lobbyists, who testify before congressional committees and approach policymakers in all government branches. Powerful lobbies, such as the AFL-CIO and the American Legion, with millions of members, have succeeded in establishing influence in Washington, D.C.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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lobby
1553, from M.L. laubia, lobia "covered walk in a monastery," from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. louba "hall, roof;" see lodge (n.)). Meaning "large entrance hall in a public building" is from 1640. Political sense of "those who seek to influence legislation" is attested 1808 in Amer.Eng., in ref. to the custom of influence-seekers gathering in large entrance-halls outside legislative chambers. The verb in this sense is first attested 1850. Lobbyist is first attested 1863.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: lob·by
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural lobbies
: a group of persons engaged in lobbying esp. as representatives of a particular interest group
Main Entry: lobby
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: lob·bied; lob·by·ing
intransitive verb : to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and esp. members of a legislative body on legislation transitive verb : to attempt to influence or sway (as a public official) toward a desired action —lob·by·er noun —lob·by·ist noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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