hus·tings

[huhs-tingz]
noun ( used with a singular or plural verb )
1.
(before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors.
2.
any place from which political campaign speeches are made.
3.
the political campaign trail.
4.
Also called hustings court. a local court in certain parts of Virginia.

Origin:
before 1050; Middle English, Old English < Old Danish hūs-thing house meeting. See house, thing2

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Hustings is always a great word to know.
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an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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World English Dictionary
hustings (ˈhʌstɪŋz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  (Brit) (before 1872) the platform on which candidates were nominated for Parliament and from which they addressed the electors
2.  the proceedings at a parliamentary election
3.  political campaigning
 
[C11: from Old Norse hūsthing, from hūshouse + thing assembly]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hustings
O.E. husting "meeting, court, tribunal," from O.N. husðing "council," from hus "house" + ðing "assembly" (see thing); so called because it was a meeting of the men who formed the "household" of a nobleman or king. The native O.E. word for this was folc-gemot. The plural
became the usual form c.1500; sense of "temporary platform for political speeches" developed by 1719 from London's Court of Hustings, presided over by the Lord Mayor, which was held on a platform in the Guildhall. This sense broadened to encompass the whole election process.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
He sent her out on the hustings, and looked on approvingly as she forged her new persona.
The mayor, recorder, and aldermen acted as justices of the peace and sat monthly as a court of hustings.
And out on the hustings, campaigners are gearing up.
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