Search Result for "senate": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (2)

1. assembly possessing high legislative powers;

2. the upper house of the United States Congress;
[syn: United States Senate, U.S. Senate, US Senate, Senate]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Senate \Sen"ate\, n. [OE. senat, F. s['e]nat, fr. L. senatus, fr. senex, gen. senis, old, an old man. See Senior, Sir.] 1. An assembly or council having the highest deliberative and legislative functions. Specifically: (a) (Anc. Rom.) A body of elders appointed or elected from among the nobles of the nation, and having supreme legislative authority. [1913 Webster] The senate was thus the medium through which all affairs of the whole government had to pass. --Dr. W. Smith. [1913 Webster] (b) The upper and less numerous branch of a legislature in various countries, as in France, in the United States, in most of the separate States of the United States, and in some Swiss cantons. (c) In general, a legislative body; a state council; the legislative department of government. [1913 Webster] 2. The governing body of the Universities of Cambridge and London. [Eng.] [1913 Webster] 3. In some American colleges, a council of elected students, presided over by the president of the college, to which are referred cases of discipline and matters of general concern affecting the students. [U. S.] [1913 Webster] Senate chamber, a room where a senate meets when it transacts business. Senate house, a house where a senate meets when it transacts business. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

senate n 1: assembly possessing high legislative powers 2: the upper house of the United States Congress [syn: United States Senate, U.S. Senate, US Senate, Senate]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

39 Moby Thesaurus words for "Senate": Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, House of Lords, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Liberia, Malagasy Republic, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Rhodesia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, US, Venezuela, West Germany
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Senate (Acts 5:21), the "elders of Israel" who formed a component part of the Sanhedrin.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

SENATE, government. The less numerous branch of the legislature. 2. The constitution of the United States, article 1, s. 3, cl. 1, directs that "the senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six years; and each senator shall have one vote." The vice president of the United States," to use the language of the constitution, art. 1, s. 3, cl. 4, "shall be president of the senate, but shall have no vote unless they be equally divided." In the senate each state in its political capacity, is represented, upon a footing of perfect equality, like a congress of sovereigns or ambassadors, or like an assembly of peers. It is unlike the house of representatives. where the people are represented. Story, Const. ch. 10. 3. The senate of the United States is invested with legislative, executive and judicial powers. 4.-1. It is a legislative body whose concurrence is requisite to the passage of every law. It may originate any bill, except those for raising revenue, which shall originate in the house of representatives; but the senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. Const. art. 1, s. 7, el. I. 5.-2. The senate is invested with executive authority in concluding treaties and making appointments. Vide President of the United States of America. 6.-3. It is invested with judicial power when it is formed into a court for the trial of impeachments. See Courts of the United States. 7. In most of the states the less numerous branch of the legislature bears the title of senate. In such a body the people are represented as well as in the other house. Vide article Congress; and, for the senates of the several states, the name of each state. See, also, articles Courts of the United States, I; House of Representatives; Vice-President of the United States.
The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

SENATE, n. A body of elderly gentlemen charged with high duties and misdemeanors.