Session

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ses=sion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Session, n. [L. sessio, fr. sedere, sessum, to sit: cf. F. session. See Sit.].

•  The act of sitting, or the state of being seated.  [1913 Webster]

  "So much his ascension into heaven and his session at the right hand of God do import."  [1913 Webster]

  "But Viven, gathering somewhat of his mood, . . .
  Leaped from her session on his lap, and stood."  [1913 Webster]
•  The actual sitting of a court, council, legislature, etc., or the actual assembly of the members of such a body, for the transaction of business.  [1913 Webster]

  "It's fit this royal session do proceed."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, also, the time, period, or term during which a court, council, legislature, etc., meets daily for business; or, the space of time between the first meeting and the prorogation or adjournment; thus, a session of Parliaments is opened with a speech from the throne, and closed by prorogation. The session of a judicial court is called a term.  [1913 Webster]

  " Sessions, in some of the States, is particularly used as a title for a court of justices, held for granting licenses to innkeepers, etc., and for laying out highways, and the like; it is also the title of several courts of criminal jurisdiction in England and the United States."  [1913 Webster]

  "It was resolved that the convocation should meet at the beginning of the next session of Parliament."  [1913 Webster]

Church session, the lowest court in the Presbyterian Church, composed of the pastor and a body of elders elected by the members of a particular church, and having the care of matters pertaining to the religious interests of that church, as the admission and dismission of members, discipline, etc. -- Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland. -- Quarter sessions. (Eng.Law) See under Quarter. -- Sessions of the peace, sittings held by justices of the peace. [Eng.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Session, n.
1 the process of assembly of a deliberative or judicial body to conduct its business.
2 a single meeting for this purpose.
3 a period during which such meetings are regularly held.
4 a an academic year. b the period during which a school etc. has classes.
5 a period devoted to an activity (poker session; recording session).
6 the governing body of a Presbyterian Church.

Idiom

in session assembled for business; not on vacation. petty sessions
1 a meeting of two or more magistrates for the summary trial of certain offences.
2 = quarter sessions.

Derivative

sessional adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF session or L sessio -onis (as SESSILE)

THESAURUS

Session

Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Lateran Council, Vatican Council, abundant year, academic year, annum, assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home, audience, ball, bargaining, bargaining session, bissextile year, brawl, calendar month, calendar year, caucus, century, chapter, classis, colloquium, commission, committee, common year, conciliarism, conclave, concourse, confab, confabulation, conference, confrontation, congregation, congress, consistory, consultation, conventicle, convention, convocation, council, council fire, council of war, dance, date, day, decade, decennary, decennium, defective year, diet, diocesan conference, discussion, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, eisteddfod, exchange of views, eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, festivity, fete, fiscal year, forgathering, fortnight, forum, gathering, get-together, hearing, high-level talk, hour, housewarming, huddle, interchange of views, interview, leap year, levee, lunar month, lunar year, lunation, luster, lustrum, man-hour, meet, meeting, microsecond, millennium, millisecond, minute, moment, month, moon, negotiations, news conference, palaver, panel, parley, parochial church council, parochial council, party, period, plenary council, plenum, pourparler, powwow, presbytery, press conference, prom, quarter, quinquennium, quorum, rally, reception, regular year, rendezvous, seance, seating, second, semester, shindig, sidereal year, sit-in, sitting, soiree, solar year, summit, summit conference, summitry, sun, symposium, synod, term, trimester, turnout, twelvemonth, vestry, week, weekday, year

ROGET THESAURUS

Session

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.