caucus
A usually preliminary meeting of party members to nominate candidates for public office or delegates to be sent to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding policy.
Noun
- A usually preliminary meeting of party members to nominate candidates for public office or delegates to be sent to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding policy.
- He conferred with Mr. Warren of Plymouth upon the necessity of giving into spirited measures, and then said, "Do you keep the committee in play, and I will go and make a caucus against the evening; and do you meet me."...
- A grouping of all the members of a legislature from the same party.
Synonyms: parliamentary group
- A political interest group by members of a legislative body.
Origin
Unknown. Often claimed to be from an Algonquian language; transcribed words such as cawaassough and caucauasu meaning "counselor, elder, adviser" appear in early texts. A popular folk etymology attested in Great Leaders and National Issues of 1896 stated: "In the early part of the eighteenth century a number of caulkers connected with the shipping business in the North End of Boston held a meeting for consultation. That meeting was the germ of the political caucuses which have formed so prominent a feature of our government ever since its organization." American Heritage Dictionary states the term is taken from the Caucus Club of Boston in the 1760s, possibly from Medieval Latin caucus (“drinking vessel”).
Forms
Derived
caucusdom caucus-goer caucusgoer caucus race firehouse caucus postcaucus precaucus
Verb
- To meet and participate in a caucus.
- Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut said yesterday that he will caucus with Senate Democrats in the new Congress, but he would not rule out switching to the Republican caucus if he starts to feel uncomfortable...
- The diehard Republicans of Kansas caucused today and delivered a big victory for Mike Huckabee, McCain's remaining serious challenger. - 2008 February 9, Richard Adams, “Huckabee wins Kansas!”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona voted with Republicans against the measure, as did Sen. Angus King of Maine, an Independent who caucuses with the...
- To confer.
- The protesters caucused nearby to discuss demands. - 1980 December 27, John Zeh, “Cincy Activists Protest Store's Violent Sex Wares”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 23, page 6:
- To bring into or treat in a caucus.
- Although journalists from the private media were barred from entering the hall, different districts caucused the meeting, discussing the voting centres and other logistics. - 2017 May 6, Tatenda Chitagu, “Zanu PF to...