consistory

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Roman Catholic Church An assembly of cardinals presided over by the pope for the solemn promulgation of papal acts, such as the canonization of a saint.
2. n. A governing body of a local congregation in certain Reformed churches.
3. n. A court appointed to regulate ecclesiastical affairs in Lutheran state churches.
4. n. An Anglican diocesan court presided over by a bishop's chancellor or commissary.
5. n. The meeting of a consistory.
6. n. A council; a tribunal.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A place of meeting; especially, a council-house or place of justice, or the assembly which convenes in it; under the Roman emperors, a privy council.
2. n. Hence An ecclesiastical or spiritual court, or the place where such a court is held. Before the Reformation every bishop had his consistory, composed of some of the leading clergy of the diocese, presided over by his chancellor. In the Anglican church every bishop has still his consistory court, held before his chancellor or commissary in the cathedral church, or some other convenient place, for the trial of ecclesiastical causes.
3. n. In the Reformed (Dutch) Ch., the lowest ecclesiastical court, having charge of the government of the local church, and corresponding to the session of the Presbyterian Church. In the Reformed (French) Ch., a higher court, corresponding to a presbytery.
4. n. In the Roman Catholic Church, an ecclesiastical senate, consisting of the whole body of cardinals, which deliberates upon the affairs of the church. It is presided over by the pope, or by the dean of the College of Cardinals. The ordinary meetings of the consistory are secret; but public consistories are held from time to time as occasion may require, and are attended by other prelates than the cardinals; the resolutions arrived at in secret session are announced in them.
5. n. In the Lutheran state churches, a board of clerical officers, either national or provincial, usually appointed by the sovereign, charged with various matters of ecclesiastical administration.
6. Belonging to or of the nature of a consistory.

Wiktionary

1. n. Primarily, a place of standing or staying together; hence, any solemn assembly or council.
2. n. The spiritual court of a diocesan bishop held before his chancellor or commissioner in his cathedral church or elsewhere.
3. n. An assembly of prelates; a session of the college of cardinals at Rome.
4. n. A church tribunal or governing body, especially of elders in a Reformed church.
5. n. obsolete A civil court of justice.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Primarily, a place of standing or staying together; hence, any solemn assembly or council.
2. n. (Eng. Ch.) The spiritual court of a diocesan bishop held before his chancellor or commissioner in his cathedral church or elsewhere.
3. n. (R. C. Ch.) An assembly of prelates; a session of the college of cardinals at Rome.
4. n. A church tribunal or governing body.
5. n. obsolete A civil court of justice.
6. adj. Of the nature of, or pertaining to, a consistory.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a church tribunal or governing body