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backbencher

 - 2 dictionary results

back⋅bench⋅er

  [bak-ben-cher, -ben-]
Use backbencher in a Sentence
–noun
any of the members of a legislature, esp. of the House of Commons of Great Britain, but not including the leaders of the parties.
Origin:
1905–10; back bench + -er 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To backbencher
back·bench   (bāk'běnch')   
n.  

  1. Chiefly British The rear benches in the House of Commons where junior members of Parliament sit behind government officeholders and their counterparts in the opposition party.

  2. New members of Congress considered as a group: "a revolt of the backbench fueled by a powerful lobbying campaign" (Washington Post).

back·bench'er 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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