Crossword clues for caucus
caucus
- Convention activity
- Political convention activity
- Party get-together
- Political assembly
- A closed political meeting
- Group with shared concerns within a political party
- Closed meeting
- Small group of like-minded politicians
- Political meeting
- Political group curtailed movement to retain University College
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Caucus \Cau"cus\, n. [Etymology uncertain. Mr. J. H. Trumbull finds the origin of caucus in the N. A. Indian word cawcawwassough or ca['u] cau-as'u one who urges or pushes on, a promoter. See citation for an early use of the word caucus.] A meeting, especially a preliminary meeting, of persons belonging to a party, to nominate candidates for public office, or to select delegates to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding measures of party policy; a political primary meeting.
This day learned that the caucus club meets, at certain
times, in the garret of Tom Dawes, the adjutant of the
Boston regiment.
--John Adams's
Diary [Feb.,
1763].
Caucus \Cau"cus\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Caucused; p. pr. & vb. n. Caucusing.] To hold, or meet in, a caucus or caucuses.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1850, from caucus (n.), but caucusing is attested from 1788.
"private meeting of party leaders," 1763, American English (New England), perhaps from an Algonquian word caucauasu "counselor, elder, adviser" in the dialect of Virginia, or from the Caucus Club of Boston, a 1760s social & political club whose name possibly derived from Modern Greek kaukos "drinking cup." Another old guess is caulker's (meeting) [Pickering, 1816], but OED finds this dismissable.\n\ncaucus: "This noun is used throughout the United States, as a cant term for those meetings, which are held by the different political parties, for the purpose of agreeing upon candidates for office, or concerting any measure, which they intend to carry at the subsequent public, or town meetings." [John Pickering, "A Vocabulary, or Collection of Words and Phrases Which Have Been Supposed to be Peculiar to the United States of America," Boston, 1816]\n
\n\n
\nThe word caucus, and its derivative caucusing, are often used in Boston. The last answers much to what we stile parliamenteering or electioneering. All my repeated applications to different gentlemen have not furnished me with a satisfactory account of the origin of caucus. It seems to mean, a number of persons, whether more or less, met together to consult upon adopting and prosecuting some scheme of policy, for carrying a favorite point.
[William Gordon, "History, Rise, Progress, and Establishment of the Independence of the United States of America," London, 1788]
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context US English) A meeting, especially a preliminary meeting, of persons belonging to a party, to nominate candidates for public office, or to select delegates to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding measures of party policy; a political primary meeting. 2 (context US Canada English) A grouping of all the members of a legislature from the same party. vb. (context US English) To meet and participate in caucus.
WordNet
n. a closed political meeting
v. meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
Wikipedia
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The term originated in the United States, but has spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Nepal. As the use of the term has been expanded, the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.
Usage examples of "caucus".
A Committee was thereupon appointed by John Sherman, President of the Caucus, to devise proper means for keeping the pledge of the National platform and establishing international bimetallism in concurrence with other nations.
African caucus does not automatically do as the Halgarths wish, nor any other Dynasty for that matter.
The merits of men and measures therefore became the subject of discussion in caucus, instead of the halls of legislation, and decisions there made by a minority of the Legislature have been executed and carried into effect by the force of party discipline, without any regard whatever to the rights of the people or the interests of the State.
Passing the shops and pubs of Syriac he saw that he was seen, and knew that some who glanced at himthe woman here, the vodyanoi, the man or cactus-man, even the Remade therewere with the Caucus.
Caucus also resolved to take the most effectual means to dragoon the Legislatures of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia into following the Seceding States.
There was a good deal of discussion in the caucus on the question of whether the Seceding States ought to continue their delegations in Congress till the 4th of March, to prevent unfriendly legislation, or whether the Representatives of the Seceding States should all resign together, and leave a clear field for the opposition to pass such bills, looking to Coercion, as they may see fit.
Robert Thompson called a Socred caucus on Monday noon, to determine the price of his support.
As Parliamentarians met with the guilds, whose demands became more organised, as the Caucus spoke out from its unsubtle front organs, Pelorus Fields was anxious.
Iowa Democrats have never put on a shuck to equal the August 1999 Republican straw pollan overhyped dress rehearsal for the caucuses that prompted candidates to squander so much money on buses, barbecue and big-name entertainers like Crystal Gayle that the effort prematurely drove Lamar Alexander and Elizabeth Dole from the race.
Before the meeting of the caucus of January 5, 1861, South Carolina had seceded, and Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas had taken the initial step of secession, by calling conventions for its accomplishment.
All the caucus had to do under that measure was to divide the electors into three groups and with three candidates, A.
Otis, Samuel Adams, Royall lyler, Oxenbridge Thacher, and a host of other Bnstonians, linked to the artisans and laborers through a network of neighborhood taverns, fire companies, and the Caucus, espoused a vision of politics diat gave credence to laboring-class views and regarded as entirely legitimate the participation of artisans and even laborers in die political process.
Nevertheless, we expected most of the native vote, either directly or through caucused coalition later, and we should get practically all of the human vote there.
While his parents and friends crowded the waiting room and spilled out into the halls and even the street, stricken physicians caucused outside the operating theater.
The dress was elegant, the hair and makeup obviously professionally done and thus impeccable, the background almost surreal in its abundant luxury: a charity event where the rich and famous caucused to raise money for the less fortunate.