(usually initial capital letter) the legislature of Great Britain, historically the assembly of the three estates, now composed of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal, forming together the House of Lords, and representatives of the counties, cities, boroughs, and universities, forming the House of Commons.
2.
(usually initial capital letter) the legislature of certain British colonies and possessions.
3.
a legislative body in any of various other countries.
4.
French History. any of several high courts of justice in France before 1789.
5.
a meeting or assembly for conference on public or national affairs.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME: discourse, consultation, Parliament < AL parliamentum, alter. of ML parlāmentum < OF parlement a speaking, conference (see parle, -ment); r. ME parlement < OF]
A national representative body having supreme legislative powers within the state.
Parliament The national legislature of various countries, especially that of the United Kingdom, made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
[Middle English, a meeting about national concerns, from Old French parlement, from parler, to talk; see parley.]
c.1290, from O.Fr. parlement (11c.), originally "speaking, talk," from parler "to speak" (see parley); spelling altered c.1400 to conform with M.L. parliamentum. Anglo-L. parliamentum is attested from 1216. Parliamentarian originally (1644) was a designation of one of the sides in the Eng. Civil War; meaning "one versed in parliamentary procedure" dates from 1834.
a card game in which you play your sevens and other cards in sequence in the same suit as the sevens; you win if you are the first to use all your cards [syn: fantan]
the highest law-making council of a nation — in Britain, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, considered together Example: an Act of Parliament
An assembly of representatives, usually of an entire nation, that makes laws. Parliaments began in the Middle Ages in struggles for power between kings and their people. Today, parliaments differ from other kinds of legislatures in one important way: some of the representatives in the parliament serve as government ministers, in charge of carrying out the laws that the parliament passes. Generally, a parliament is divided by political parties, and the representative who leads the strongest political party in the parliament becomes the nation's head of government. This leader is usually called the prime minister or premier. Typically, a different person — usually a king, queen, or president — is head of state, and this person's duties are usually more ceremonial than governmental.
Note: The number of nations governed by parliaments has greatly increased in modern times.
Main Entry: par·lia·ment Pronunciation: 'pär-l&-m&nt, 'pärl-y&- Function: noun Etymology: Anglo-French parlement conference,
council, parliament, from parler to speak 1 a: an assemblage of the nobility, clergy, and commons called together by the British sovereign as the supreme legislative body in
the United Kingdom b: a similar assemblage in another nation or state 2: the supreme legislative body of a usually major political unit that is a continuing
institution comprising a series of individual assemblages
House\, n.; pl. Houses. [OE. hous, hus, AS. h?s; akin to OS. & OFries. h?s, D. huis, OHG. h?s, G. haus, Icel. h?s, Sw. hus, Dan. huus, Goth. gudh?s, house of God, temple; and prob. to E. hide to conceal. See Hide, and cf. Hoard, Husband, Hussy, Husting.]1. A structure intended or used as a habitation or shelter for animals of any kind; but especially, a building or edifice for the habitation of man; a dwelling place, a mansion. Houses are built to live in; not to look on. --Bacon. Bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench Are from their hives and houses driven away. --Shak. 2. Household affairs; domestic concerns; particularly in the phrase to keep house. See below. 3. Those who dwell in the same house; a household. One that feared God with all his house. --Acts x. 2. 4. A family of ancestors, descendants, and kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe; especially, a noble family or an illustrious race; as, the house of Austria; the house of Hanover; the house of Israel. The last remaining pillar of their house, The one transmitter of their ancient name. --Tennyson. 5. One of the estates of a kingdom or other government assembled in parliament or legislature; a body of men united in a legislative capacity; as, the House of Lords; the House of Commons; the House of Representatives; also, a quorum of such a body. See Congress, and Parliament. 6. (Com.) A firm, or commercial establishment. 7. A public house; an inn; a hotel. 8. (Astrol.) A twelfth part of the heavens, as divided by six circles intersecting at the north and south points of the horizon, used by astrologers in noting the positions of the heavenly bodies, and casting horoscopes or nativities. The houses were regarded as fixed in respect to the horizon, and numbered from the one at the eastern horizon, called the ascendant, first house, or house of life, downward, or in the direction of the earth's revolution, the stars and planets passing through them in the reverse order every twenty-four hours. 9. A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece. 10. An audience; an assembly of hearers, as at a lecture, a theater, etc.; as, a thin or a full house. 11. The body, as the habitation of the soul. This mortal house I'll ruin, Do C[ae]sar what he can. --Shak. 12. Usage: [With an adj., as narrow, dark, etc.] The grave. "The narrow house." --Bryant. Note: House is much used adjectively and as the first element of compounds. The sense is usually obvious; as, house cricket, housemaid, house painter, housework. House ant (Zo["o]l.), a very small, yellowish brown ant (Myrmica molesta), which often infests houses, and sometimes becomes a great pest. House of bishops (Prot. Epis. Ch.), one of the two bodies composing a general convertion, the other being House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. House boat, a covered boat used as a dwelling. House of call, a place, usually a public house, where journeymen connected with a particular trade assemble when out of work, ready for the call of employers. [Eng.] --Simonds. House car (Railroad), a freight car with inclosing sides and a roof; a box car. House of correction. See Correction. House cricket (Zo["o]l.), a European cricket (Gryllus domesticus), which frequently lives in houses, between the bricks of chimneys and fireplaces. It is noted for the loud chirping or stridulation of the males. House dog, a dog kept in or about a dwelling house. House finch (Zo["o]l.), the burion. House flag, a flag denoting the commercial house to which a merchant vessel belongs. House fly (Zo["o]l.), a common fly (esp. Musca domestica), which infests houses both in Europe and America. Its larva is a maggot which lives in decaying substances or excrement, about sink drains, etc. House of God, a temple or church. House of ill fame. See Ill fame under Ill, a. House martin (Zo["o]l.), a common European swallow (Hirundo urbica). It has feathered feet, and builds its nests of mud against the walls of buildings. Called also house swallow, and window martin. House mouse (Zo["o]l.), the common mouse (Mus musculus). House physician, the resident medical adviser of a hospital or other public institution. House snake (Zo["o]l.), the milk snake. House sparrow (Zo["o]l.), the common European sparrow (Passer domesticus). It has recently been introduced into America, where it has become very abundant, esp. in cities. Called also thatch sparrow. House spider (Zo["o]l.), any spider which habitually lives in houses. Among the most common species are Theridium tepidariorum and Tegenaria domestica. House surgeon, the resident surgeon of a hospital. House wren (Zo["o]l.), the common wren of the Eastern United States (Troglodytes a["e]don). It is common about houses and in gardens, and is noted for its vivacity, and loud musical notes. See Wren. Religious house, a monastery or convent. The White House, the official residence of the President of the United States; -- hence, colloquially, the office of President. To bring down the house. See under Bring. To keep house, to maintain an independent domestic establishment. To keep open house, to entertain friends at all times. Syn: Dwelling; residence; abode. See Tenement.
Par"ley\, n.; pl. Parleys. [F. parler speech, talk, fr. parler to speak, LL. parabolare, fr. L. parabola a comparison, parable, in LL., a word. See Parable, and cf. Parliament, Parlor.] Mutual discourse or conversation; discussion; hence, an oral conference with an enemy, as with regard to a truce. We yield on parley, but are stormed in vain. --Dryden. To beat a parley (Mil.), to beat a drum, or sound a trumpet, as a signal for holding a conference with the enemy.
Par"lia*ment\, n. [OE. parlement, F. parlement, fr. parler to speak; cf. LL. parlamentum, parliamentum. See Parley.]1. A parleying; a discussion; a conference. [Obs.] But first they held their parliament. --Rom. of R. 2. A formal conference on public affairs; a general council; esp., an assembly of representatives of a nation or people having authority to make laws. They made request that it might be lawful for them to summon a parliament of Gauls. --Golding. 3. The assembly of the three estates of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, viz., the lords spiritual, lords temporal, and the representatives of the commons, sitting in the House of Lords and the House of Commons, constituting the legislature, when summoned by the royal authority to consult on the affairs of the nation, and to enact and repeal laws. Note: Thought the sovereign is a constituting branch of Parliament, the word is generally used to denote the three estates named above. 4. In France, before the Revolution of 1789, one of the several principal judicial courts. Parliament heel, the inclination of a ship when made to careen by shifting her cargo or ballast. Parliament hinge (Arch.), a hinge with so great a projection from the wall or frame as to allow a door or shutter to swing back flat against the wall. Long Parliament, Rump Parliament. See under Long, and Rump.
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