convocation

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of convoking.
2. n. A group of people convoked, especially the members of a college or university community who are assembled for a ceremony.
3. n. A clerical assembly of the Anglican Church similar to a synod but assembling only when called.
4. n. An assembly of the clergy and representative laity of a section of a diocese of the Episcopal Church.
5. n. The district represented at such an assembly.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of calling together or assembling by summons.
2. n. An assembly.
3. n. [capitalized] An assembly of the clergy of the Church of England for the settlement of certain ecclesiastical affairs. There are two Convocations, viz., of the provinces of Canterbury and York, summoned by writs from the crown to the archbishops. Each body contains an upper house of bishops with the archbishop as president, and a lower house, composed of deans, archdeacons, and elected proctors. Constitutions for both Convocations were established in the thirteenth century; later an unsuccessful attempt was made to incorporate them with Parliament. In 1533, by the Act of Submission, their legislative powers were restricted, and their acts have since been dependent upon special warrant from the crown. The Convocation of Canterbury was the more important and regular; but after its prorogation in 1717, although its meetings were continued for a time, it received no new royal warrant till 1861. The Convocation of York has generally been less regular in its proceedings than that of Canterbury. Both Convocations now meet at each parliamentary session, and the proctors are renewed at each parliamentary election.
4. n. In the University of Cambridge, England, an assembly of the senate out of term time. A grace is immediately passed to convert such a convocation into a congregation, after which its business proceeds as usual. Cam. Cal.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of calling or assembling by summons.
2. n. An assembly or meeting.
3. n. An assembly of the clergy, by their representatives, to consult on ecclesiastical affairs.
4. n. An academical assembly, in which the business of the university is transacted.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of calling or assembling by summons.
2. n. An assembly or meeting.
3. n. (Ch. of Eng.) An assembly of the clergy, by their representatives, to consult on ecclesiastical affairs.
4. n. (Oxf. University) An academical assembly, in which the business of the university is transacted.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of convoking
2. n. a group gathered in response to a summons