session

A period of time devoted to a particular activity.

Noun

  1. A period of time devoted to a particular activity.
    • counseling session
    • a training session
    • jam session
  2. An official meeting or term of a council, court, or other body to conduct its business; e.g. the annual or semiannual periods of a legislature (that together comprise the legislative term), whose individual meetings are also called sessions.
    • This court is now in session.
  3. The sequence of interactions between client and server, or between user and system; the period during which a user is logged in or connected.
    • Logging out or shutting down the computer will end your session.
  4. Any of the three scheduled two-hour playing sessions, from the start of play to lunch, from lunch to tea and from tea to the close of play.
  5. The act of sitting, or the state of being seated.
    • So much his ascension into heaven and his session at the right hand of God do import. - [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […],...
    • But Vivien, gathering somewhat of his mood, / And hearing 'harlot' mutter'd twice or thrice, / Leapt from her session on his lap, and stood, / Stiff as a viper frozen; […] - 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Vivien”, in Idylls of...
  6. Ellipsis of jam session, used in isolate particularly for folk music.
  7. An academic term; semester; school year.
  8. An extended period of drinking, typically consuming beer with low alcohol content.
  9. The ruling body of a congregation, consisting of the pastor and elders.

Origin

From Middle English session, from Old French session, from Latin sessiō (“a sitting”), from sedeō (“sit”).

Forms

sessions

Hyponyms

bull session

Derived

birds-of-a-feather session breakout session buzz session cram session cryosession extraordinary session first session foley session galah session in session intersession intrasession kirk-session legislative session microsession midsession minisession multisession parasession plenary session poster session postsession presession punch-up session

Verb

  1. To hold or participate in a jam session with other musicians.
    • “I downloaded a clip from a drummer, who I now realize is Bernard Purdie, who has sessioned on all kinds of records,” he said. - 2009 May 3, Virginia Heffernan, “World Music”, in New York Times:

Forms

sessions sessioning sessioned