congress

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A formal assembly of representatives, as of various nations, to discuss problems.
2. n. The national legislative body of a nation, especially a republic.
3. n. The national legislative body of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
4. n. The two-year session of this legislature between elections of the House of Representatives.
5. n. The act of coming together or meeting.
6. n. A single meeting, as of a political party or other group.
7. n. Sexual intercourse.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A meeting together of individuals: an encounter; an interview.
2. n. The meeting of persons in sexual commerce.
3. n. A formal meeting or association of persons having a representative character; an organization or authorized assemblage of persons for the consideration of some special subject or the promotion of some common interest; particularly, in politics, an assemblage of envoys, commissioners, or plenipotentiaries representing sovereign powers, or of sovereigns themselves, for the purpose of arranging international affairs: as, the Congress of Vienna (1814-15); the Congress of Paris (1856). For the distinction between conference and congress, see extract under conference, 2 .
4. n. [capitalized] The national legislature of the United States. In United States history there have been three differently constituted bodies so named: The Continental Congress, representing the thirteen colonies. What is known as the first Continental Congress, with delegates from all the colonies but Georgia, met in Philadelphia September 5th, 1774, and lasted until October 26th, 1774; the second, in which all were represented, met in Philadelphia May 10th, 1775, and adjourned December 12th, 1776; the third met in Baltimore December 20th, 1776, and lasted until the Articles of Confederation went into operation, March 1st, 1781.
5. n. The name of the lower house of the Spanish Cortes, and of the national legislatures of the South American republics.
6. To come together; assemble; congregate.

Wiktionary

1. n. archaic A coming-together of two or more people; a meeting.
2. n. A formal gathering or assembly; a conference held to discuss or decide on a specific question.
3. n. A legislative body of a state, originally the bicameral legislature of the United States of America.
4. n. An association, especially one consisting of other associations or representatives of interest groups.
5. n. Sexual intercourse.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete A meeting of individuals, whether friendly or hostile; an encounter.
2. n. obsolete A sudden encounter; a collision; a shock; -- said of things.
3. n. The coming together of a male and female in sexual commerce; the act of coition.
4. n. A gathering or assembly; a conference.
5. n. A formal assembly, as of princes, deputies, representatives, envoys, or commissioners; esp., a meeting of the representatives of several governments or societies to consider and determine matters of common interest.
6. n. The collective body of senators and representatives of the people of a nation, esp. of a republic, constituting the chief legislative body of the nation.
7. n. The lower house of the Spanish Cortes, the members of which are elected for three years.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a national legislative assembly
2. n. the act of sexual procreation between a man and a woman; the man's penis is inserted into the woman's vagina and excited until orgasm and ejaculation occur
3. n. a meeting of elected or appointed representatives
4. n. the legislature of the United States government