committee

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: com=mit=tee

CIDE DICTIONARY

committee, n. [Cf. OF. comité company, and LL. comitatus jurisdiction or territory of a count, county, assize, army. The word was apparently influenced by the verb commit, but not directly formed from it. Cf. County.].

 One or more persons elected or appointed, to whom any matter or business is referred, either by a legislative body, or by a court, or by any collective body of men acting together.  [1913 Webster]

Committee of the whole [house], a committee, embracing all the members present, into which a legislative or deliberative body sometimes resolves itself, for the purpose of considering a particular measure under the operation of different rules from those governing the general legislative proceedings. The committee of the whole has its own chairman, and reports its action in the form of recommendations. -- Standing committee. See under Standing.

committee, n. [From Commit, v. t.].

 One to whom the charge of the person or estate of another, as of a lunatic, is committed by suitable authority; a guardian.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

committee, n.
1 a a body of persons appointed for a specific function by, and usu. out of, a larger body. b such a body appointed by Parliament etc. to consider the details of proposed legislation. c (Committee) Brit. the whole House of Commons when sitting as a committee.
2 Law a person entrusted with the charge of another person or another person's property.

Idiom

committee-man (pl. -men; fem. committee-woman, pl. -women) a member of a committee, esp. a habitual member of committees. committee stage Brit. the third of five stages of a bill's progress through Parliament when it may be considered in detail and amendments made. select committee a small parliamentary committee appointed for a special purpose. standing committee a committee that is permanent during the existence of the appointing body.

Etymology

COMMIT + -EE

THESAURUS

committee

ad hoc committee, assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home, ball, board, body, brawl, cabinet, caucus, colloquium, commission, committee of one, conclave, concourse, congregation, congress, conventicle, convention, convocation, council, dance, date, delegation, deputation, diet, eisteddfod, festivity, fete, forgathering, forum, gathering, get-together, housewarming, levee, meet, meeting, mission, panel, party, plenum, prom, quorum, rally, reception, rendezvous, seance, session, shindig, sit-in, sitting, soiree, special committee, standing committee, subcommittee, symposium, synod, turnout

ROGET THESAURUS

committee

Council

N council, committee, subcommittee, comitia, court, chamber, cabinet, board, bench, staff, senate, senatus, parliament, chamber of deputies, directory, reichsrath, rigsdag, cortes, storthing, witenagemote, junta, divan, musnud, sanhedrim, classis, Amphictyonic council, duma, house of representatives, legislative assembly, legislative council, riksdag, volksraad, witan, caput, consistory, chapter, syndicate, court of appeal, board of control, board of works, vestry, county council, local board, audience chamber, council chamber, state chamber, cabinet council, privy council, cockpit, convocation, synod, congress, convention, diet, states-general, assembly, caucus, conclave, clique, conventicle, meeting, sitting, seance, conference, convention, exhibition, session, palaver, pourparler, durbar, house, quorum, council fire, powwow, primary, meeting, assemblage, member, senator, member of parliament, M, P, councilor, representative of the people, assemblyman, congressman, councilman, councilwoman, alderman, freeholder, senatorial, curule, congressional, parliamentary, legislative, law-making, regulatory, deliberative.

Consignee

N consignee, trustee, nominee, committee, agent, delegate, commissary, commissioner, emissary, envoy, commissionaire, messenger, diplomatist, diplomat, diplomate, corps diplomatique, embassy, ambassador, embassador, representative, resident, consul, legate, nuncio, internuncio, charge d'affaires, attache, vicegerent, plenipotentiary, functionary, placeman, curator, treasurer, factor, bailiff, clerk, secretary, attorney, advocate, solicitor, proctor, broker, underwriter, commission agent, auctioneer, one's man of business, factotum, caretaker, dalal, dubash, garnishee, gomashta, negotiator, go-between, middleman, under agent, employe, servant, referee, arbitrator, traveler, bagman, commis-voyageur, touter, commercial traveler, drummer, traveling man, newspaper correspondent, own correspondent, special correspondent.