a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, entertainment, etc.: a cocktail party.
2.
a group gathered for a special purpose or task: a fishing party; a search party.
3.
a detachment, squad, or detail of troops assigned to perform some particular mission or service.
4.
a group of persons with common purposes or opinions who support one side of a dispute, question, debate, etc.
5.
a group of persons with common political opinions and purposes organized for gaining political influence and governmental control and for directing government policy: the Republican party; the Democratic party.
6.
the system of taking sides on public or political questions or the like.
7.
attachment or devotion to one side or faction; partisanship: to put considerations of party first.
8.
Law.
a.
one of the litigants in a legal proceeding; a plaintiff or defendant in a suit.
b.
a signatory to a legal instrument.
c.
a person participating in or otherwise privy to a crime.
9.
a person or group that participates in some action, affair, plan, etc.; participant: He was a party to the merger deal.
10.
the person under consideration; a specific individual: Look at the party in the green velvet shorts.
11.
a person or, usually, two or more persons together patronizing a restaurant, attending a social or cultural function, etc.: The headwaiter asked how many were in our party; a party of 12 French physicists touring the labs; a party of one at the small table.
12.
a person participating in a telephone conversation: I have your party on the line.
13.
any occasion or activity likened to a social party, as specified; session: The couple in the next apartment are having their usual dish-throwing party.
14.
an advantageous or pleasurable situation or combination of circumstances of some duration and often of questionable character; period of content, license, exemption, etc.: The police broke in and suddenly the party was over for the nation's most notorious gunman.
–adjective
15.
of or pertaining to a party or faction; partisan: party leaders.
16.
of or for a social gathering: her new party dress.
17.
being shared by or pertaining to two or more persons or things.
18.
Heraldry. (of an escutcheon) having the field divided into a number of parts, usually two; parted.
–verb (used without object) Informal.
19.
to go to or give parties, esp. a series of parties.
20.
to enjoy oneself thoroughly and without restraint; indulge in pleasure.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME partie < OF, n. use of fem. of parti, ptp. of partir < L partīre to share. See part]
—Related forms
par·ty·less, adjective
—Synonyms 1. meeting, assemblage. See company.4. faction, circle, coterie, ring.
—Usage note Party meaning “a specific individual” is old in the language, going back to the 15th century, and was formerly in common use. Today, it remains standard in limited senses, chiefly the legal, and is often used humorously or condescendingly: the party holding the balloon. Person is the neutral and common term.
A social gathering especially for pleasure or amusement: a cocktail party.
A group of people who have gathered to participate in an activity. See Synonyms at band2.
A person or group involved in an enterprise; a participant or an accessory: I refuse to be a party to your silly scheme.
Law A person or group involved in a legal proceeding as a litigant.
A subscriber to a telephone party line.
A person using a telephone.
An act of sexual intercourse.
An orgy.
An established political group organized to promote and support its principles and candidates for public office.
A person or group involved in an enterprise; a participant or an accessory: I refuse to be a party to your silly scheme.
Law A person or group involved in a legal proceeding as a litigant.
A subscriber to a telephone party line.
A person using a telephone.
An act of sexual intercourse.
An orgy.
A subscriber to a telephone party line.
A person using a telephone.
An act of sexual intercourse.
An orgy.
A person: "And though Grainger was a spry old party, such steps couldn't be his"(Anthony Hyde).
A selected group of soldiers: a raiding party.
Slang
An act of sexual intercourse.
An orgy.
adj.
Of, relating to, or participating in an established political organization: party members; party politics.
Suitable for use at a social gathering: party dresses; a party hat.
Characteristic of a pleasurable social gathering: a party atmosphere.
intr.v.
par·tied, par·ty·ing, par·ties
To celebrate or carouse at or as if at a party: That night we partied until dawn.
[Middle English partie, part, side, group, from Old French, from feminine past participle of partir, to divide, from Latin partīre, from pars, part-, part; see part.]
par'ty·er, par'ti·er n.
Usage Note: Party is unexceptionable when used to refer to a participant in a social arrangement, as in She was not named as a party in the conspiracy. It is this sense that underlies the legal use of the term, as when one speaks of the parties to a contract. The legal use has in turn led to the presence of the word in many fixed expressions, such as injured party and third party. But party is also widely used as a general substitute for person, as in Would all parties who left packages at the desk please reclaim them. This usage has been established for many centuries, but in the Victorian era it came to be associated with the language of the semieducated and it has been the subject of many later criticisms. This use of party may have been reinforced in the 20th century by its adoption by telephone operators. In other contexts, when used in earnest, it may be perceived as a superfluous variant for person. But the jocular use of the term is well established, particularly in references such as a wise old party.
c.1290, "part, portion, side," from O.Fr. partie "a part, a party" (12c.), lit. "that which is divided," from fem. pp. of partir "to divide" (see part (v.)). Political sense of "side in a contest or dispute" evolved by 1300; meaning "a person" is from 1460. Sense of "gathering for social pleasure" is first found 1716, from general sense of persons gathered together (originally for some specific purpose, e.g. dinner party, hunting party). The verb is first attested 1922, from the noun. Phrase the party is over is from 1937; party line is first recorded 1834 in the sense of "policy adopted by a political party," 1893 in the sense of "telephone line shared by two or more subscribers." Party pooper is from 1951, Amer.Eng.
Part\, n. [F. part, L. pars, gen. partis; cf. parere to bring forth, produce. Cf. Parent, Depart, Parcel, Partner, Party, Portion.]1. One of the portions, equal or unequal, into which anything is divided, or regarded as divided; something less than a whole; a number, quantity, mass, or the like, regarded as going to make up, with others, a larger number, quantity, mass, etc., whether actually separate or not; a piece; a fragment; a fraction; a division; a member; a constituent. And kept back part of the price, . . . and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles'feet. --Acts v. 2. Our ideas of extension and number -- do they not contain a secret relation of the parts ? --Locke. I am a part of all that I have met. --Tennyson. 2. Hence, specifically: (a) An equal constituent portion; one of several or many like quantities, numbers, etc., into which anything is divided, or of which it is composed; proportional division or ingredient. An homer is the tenth part of an ephah. --Ex. xvi. 36. A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom, And ever three parts coward. --Shak. (b) A constituent portion of a living or spiritual whole; a member; an organ; an essential element. All the parts were formed . . . into one harmonious body. --Locke. The pulse, the glow of every part. --Keble. (c) A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; -- usually in the plural with a collective sense. "Men of considerable parts." --Burke. "Great quickness of parts." --Macaulay. Which maintained so politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them. --Shak. (d) Quarter; region; district; -- usually in the plural. "The uttermost part of the heaven." --Neh. i. 9. All parts resound with tumults, plaints, and fears. --Dryden. (e) (Math.) Such portion of any quantity, as when taken a certain number of times, will exactly make that quantity; as, 3 is a part of 12; -- the opposite of multiple. Also, a line or other element of a geometrical figure. 3. That which belongs to one, or which is assumed by one, or which falls to one, in a division or apportionment; share; portion; lot; interest; concern; duty; office. We have no part in David. --2 Sam. xx. 1. Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part; Do thou but thine. --Milton. Let me bear My part of danger with an equal share. --Dryden. 4. Hence, specifically: (a) One of the opposing parties or sides in a conflict or a controversy; a faction. For he that is not against us is on our part. --Mark ix. 40. Make whole kingdoms take her brother's part. --Waller. (b) A particular character in a drama or a play; an assumed personification; also, the language, actions, and influence of a character or an actor in a play; or, figuratively, in real life. See To act a part, under Act. That part Was aptly fitted and naturally performed. --Shak. It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf. --Shak. Honor and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part, there all the honor lies. --Pope. (c) (Mus.) One of the different melodies of a concerted composition, which heard in union compose its harmony; also, the music for each voice or instrument; as, the treble, tenor, or bass part; the violin part, etc. For my part, so far as concerns me; for my share. For the most part. See under Most, a. In good part, as well done; favorably; acceptably; in a friendly manner. --Hooker. In ill part, unfavorably; with displeasure. In part, in some degree; partly. Part and parcel, an essential or constituent portion; -- a reduplicative phrase. Cf. might and main, kith and kin, etc. "She was . . . part and parcel of the race and place." --Howitt. Part of speech (Gram.), a sort or class of words of a particular character; thus, the noun is a part of speech denoting the name of a thing; the verb is a part of speech which asserts something of the subject of a sentence. Part owner (Law), one of several owners or tenants in common. See Joint tenant, under Joint. Part singing, singing in which two or more of the harmonic parts are taken. Part song, a song in two or more (commonly four) distinct vocal parts. "A part song differs from a madrigal in its exclusion of contrapuntual devices; from a glee, in its being sung by many voices, instead of by one only, to each part." --Stainer & Barrett. Syn: Portion; section; division; fraction; fragment; piece; share; constituent. See Portion, and Section.
Par"ti*san\, n. [F., fr. It. partigiano. See Party, and cf. Partisan a truncheon.] [Written also partizan.]1. An adherent to a party or faction; esp., one who is strongly and passionately devoted to a party or an interest. "The violence of a partisan." --Macaulay. Both sides had their partisans in the colony. --Jefferson. 2. (Mil.) (a) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy. (b) Any member of such a corps.
Par"tite\, a. [L. partitus, p. p. of partire to part, divide, from pars. See Part, and cf. Party, a.] (Bot.) Divided nearly to the base; as, a partite leaf is a simple separated down nearly to the base.
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