lobby
/ˈlɑ.bi/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.03 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
noun
A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
noun
A virtual area where meeting attendees can await admittance from an authorized person.
noun
An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
Example Sentences
- "I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor."
- "Near-synonym: special interest"
- "The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US."
- "Near-synonyms: cowyard, paddock"
- "Ranger Leslie Thompson, assigned to elevator duty, brought the elevator to the surface about 12:30 to bring down the tourists who were in the lobby of the elevator tower at that time."
- "For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-der.? Proto-Germanic *laubą Proto-West Germanic *laub Proto-Germanic *-jô Proto-West Germanic *-jō Frankish *laubijābor. Medieval Latin laubiabor. English lobby From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives from the entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the most convenient place to meet them.
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈlɑ.bi/
- British English: /ˈlɒb.i/