pedarian

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun One of those Roman senators who, as merely ex officio senators (as the pontifex maximus and the flamen dialis), or as not yet having been entered by the censors on the roll, had no vote, but had the right to speak, and to make expression of opinion by walking over to the side they espoused when a vote or division was had.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun (Rom. Antiq.) One of a class eligible to the office of senator, but not yet chosen, who could sit and speak in the senate, but could not vote; -- so called because he might indicate his opinion by walking over to the side of the party he favored when a vote was taken.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun historical One of a class eligible to the office of senator, but not yet chosen, who could sit and speak in the senate, but could not vote.