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forum

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fo⋅rum

[fawr-uhm, fohr-uhm]
–noun, plural fo⋅rums, fo⋅ra [fawr-uh, fohr-uh] .
1. the marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city, the center of judicial and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people.
2. a court or tribunal: the forum of public opinion.
3. an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest.
4. the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome.

Origin:
1425–75; late ME < L: marketplace, public place, akin to forīs, forās outside, foris door
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fo·rum   (fôr'əm, fōr'-)   
n.   pl. fo·rums also fo·ra (fôr'ə, fōr'ə)
    1. The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business.

    2. A public meeting place for open discussion.

    3. A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website.

  1. A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation.

  2. A court of law; a tribunal.


[Middle English, from Latin; see dhwer- in Indo-European roots.]
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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Word Origin & History

forum 
1460, "place of assembly in ancient Rome," from L. forum "marketplace" apparently akin to foris, foras "out of doors, outside." Sense of "assembly, place for public discussion" first recorded 1690.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: fo·rum
Pronunciation: 'fO-r&m
Function: noun
1 : PUBLIC FORUM
2 a : a judicial body or assembly : COURT forum by removing the case —M. H. Redish> b : the territorial jurisdiction of a court forum before personal jurisdiction may be exercised —National Law Journal>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Computing Dictionary

forum messaging
(Plural "fora" or "forums") Any discussion group accessible through a dial-in BBS (e.g. GEnie, CI$), a mailing list, or a Usenet newsgroup (see network, the). A forum functions much like a bulletin board; users submit postings for all to read and discussion ensues.
Contrast real-time chat or point-to-point personal e-mail.
[The Jargon File]
(1998-01-18)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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