forum

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business.
2. n. A public meeting place for open discussion.
3. n. A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website.
4. n. A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation.
5. n. A court of law; a tribunal.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In Roman antiquity the market-place of a city. It was the official center of the public and corporate life of the city, and was usually surrounded by the chief public buildings, and often ornamented with statues and other works of art. Justice was administered in the forum or in buildings opening upon it, and it was a normal place of assembly for the people. The word was originally applied to an open space or area left before any edifice, and particularly before a tomb. In ancient Rome the space left vacant at the first agglomeration of the city for the transaction of judicial and other public business was specifically called the Forum, or Forum Romanum. Two other judicial forums were constructed by Julius Cæsar and Augustus, and all three were richly adorned with columns, statues, etc., divided by the rostra into a comitium or court and a place of public assembly, and surrounded by temples, porticos in which financial business was transacted, and other buildings. There were many forums exclusively for market purposes. Compare agora.
2. n. Hence A tribunal; a court; any assembly empowered to hear and decide causes

Wiktionary

1. n. A place for discussion.
2. n. A gathering for the purpose of discussion.
3. n. A form of discussion involving a panel of presenters and often participation by members of the audience.
4. n. Internet An Internet message board where users can post messages regarding one or more topics of discussion.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A market place or public place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people.
2. n. A tribunal; a court; an assembly empowered to hear and decide causes.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a public facility to meet for open discussion
2. n. a public meeting or assembly for open discussion