caucus

== English == === Etymology === 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”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɔːkəs/ (Standard Southern British, Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkoːkəs/ (US) (without the cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈkɔkəs/ (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈkɑkəs/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈkɔkəs/ Rhymes: -ɔːkəs === Noun === caucus (plural caucuses or caucusses) (US, Canada, Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, archaic in UK, not used in the European Union) 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. A grouping of all the members of a legislature from the same party. Synonym: parliamentary group A political interest group by members of a legislative body. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === caucus (third-person singular simple present caucuses or caucusses, present participle caucusing or caucussing, simple past and past participle caucused or caucussed) (intransitive or transitive with with) To meet and participate in a caucus. (informal, by extension, intransitive) To confer. (transitive) To bring into or treat in a caucus. === References === === Further reading === caucus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Latin == === Alternative forms === caucum === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek καῦκος (kaûkos, “cup”). Ultimately, borrowed from Proto-Celtic *kaɸukos (“cup”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, hold”). === Noun === caucus m (genitive caucī); second declension (Late Latin) goblet, cup ==== Declension ==== Second-declension noun. ==== Descendants ==== → Old English: ċēac (see there for further descendants) → English: caucus (possibly) → Romanian: cauc ⇒ Vulgar Latin: *caucellus Catalan: escocell ⇒ Vulgar Latin: *cauceus Aragonese: cuezo, cueza Catalan: cossi Occitan: còça === References === == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkaukus/ [ˈkau̯.kus] Rhymes: -aukus Syllabification: cau‧cus === Noun === caucus m (plural caucus) (politics) caucus