Senate

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Senate \Sen"ate\, n. [OE. senat, F. s['e]nat, fr. L. senatus,
     fr. senex, gen. senis, old, an old man. See {Senior}, {Sir}.]
     1. An assembly or council having the highest deliberative and
        legislative functions. Specifically:
        (a) (Anc. Rom.) A body of elders appointed or elected from
            among the nobles of the nation, and having supreme


            legislative authority.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  The senate was thus the medium through which all
                  affairs of the whole government had to pass.
                                                    --Dr. W.
                                                    Smith.
            [1913 Webster]
        (b) The upper and less numerous branch of a legislature in
            various countries, as in France, in the United States,
            in most of the separate States of the United States,
            and in some Swiss cantons.
        (c) In general, a legislative body; a state council; the
            legislative department of government.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The governing body of the Universities of Cambridge and
        London. [Eng.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. In some American colleges, a council of elected students,
        presided over by the president of the college, to which
        are referred cases of discipline and matters of general
        concern affecting the students. [U. S.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Senate chamber}, a room where a senate meets when it
        transacts business.
  
     {Senate house}, a house where a senate meets when it
        transacts business.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  senate
       n 1: assembly possessing high legislative powers
       2: the upper house of the United States Congress [syn: {United
          States Senate}, {US Senate}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  39 Moby Thesaurus words for "Senate":
     Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
     Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France,
     House of Lords, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Laos,
     Liberia, Malagasy Republic, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands,
     Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Rhodesia,
     South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey,
     US, Venezuela, West Germany
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Senate
     (Acts 5:21), the "elders of Israel" who formed a component part
     of the Sanhedrin.
     

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SENATE, government. The less numerous branch of the legislature. 
       2. The constitution of the United States, article 1, s. 3, cl. 1, 
  directs that "the senate of the United States shall be composed of two 
  senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six years; 
  and each senator shall have one vote." The vice president of the United 
  States," to use the language of the constitution, art. 1, s. 3, cl. 4, 
  "shall be president of the senate, but shall have no vote unless they be 
  equally divided." In the senate each state in its political capacity, is 
  represented, upon a footing of perfect equality, like a congress of 
  sovereigns or ambassadors, or like an assembly of peers. It is unlike the 
  house of representatives. where the people are represented. Story, Const. 
  ch. 10. 
       3. The senate of the United States is invested with legislative, 
  executive and judicial powers. 
       4.-1. It is a legislative body whose concurrence is requisite to the 
  passage of every law. It may originate any bill, except those for raising 
  revenue, which shall originate in the house of representatives; but the 
  senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. Const. art. 
  1, s. 7, el. I. 
       5.-2. The senate is invested with executive authority in concluding 
  treaties and making appointments. Vide President of the United States of 
  America. 
       6.-3. It is invested with judicial power when it is formed into a court 
  for the trial of impeachments. See Courts of the United States. 
       7. In most of the states the less numerous branch of the legislature 
  bears the title of senate. In such a body the people are represented as well 
  as in the other house. Vide article Congress; and, for the senates of the 
  several states, the name of each state. See, also, articles Courts of the 
  United States, I; House of Representatives; Vice-President of the United 
  States. 
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  SENATE, n.  A body of elderly gentlemen charged with high duties and
  misdemeanors.