caucus

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: cau=cus

CIDE DICTIONARY

caucus, n. [Etymology uncertain. Mr. J. H. Trumbull finds the origin of caucus in the N. A. Indian word cawcawwassough or caú cau-as'u one who urges or pushes on, a promoter. See citation for an early use of the word caucus.].

 A meeting, especially a preliminary meeting, of persons belonging to a party, to nominate candidates for public office, or to select delegates to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding measures of party policy; a political primary meeting.  [1913 Webster]
"This day learned that the caucus club meets, at certain times, in the garret of Tom Dawes, the adjutant of the Boston regiment."  [1913 Webster]

caucus, v. i. 

 To hold, or meet in, a caucus or caucuses.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

caucus, n.
1 US a a meeting of the members of a political party, esp. in the Senate etc., to decide policy. b a bloc of such members. c this system as a political force.
2 often derog. (esp. in the UK) a a usu. secret meeting of a group within a larger organization or party. b such a group.

Etymology

18th-c. US, perh. f. Algonquin cau' -cau-as' u adviser

THESAURUS

caucus

assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home, ball, brawl, breakaway group, by-election, camp, closed primary, colloquium, commission, committee, conclave, concourse, congregation, congress, congressional caucus, congressional election, contested election, conventicle, convention, convocation, council, dance, date, diet, direct primary, division, eisteddfod, election, ethnic group, faction, festivity, fete, forgathering, forum, gathering, general election, gerrymander, get-together, housewarming, interest, interest group, levee, mandatory primary, meet, meeting, minority group, nonpartisan primary, offshoot, open primary, optional primary, packed caucus, panel, partisan election, party, plenum, political party, politicize, preference primary, presidential election, presidential preference primary, presidential primary, pressure group, primary, primary election, prom, quorum, rally, reception, referendum, rendezvous, runoff, runoff election, runoff primary, seance, secret caucus, sect, session, shindig, side, silent majority, sit-in, sitting, soiree, splinter, splinter group, symposium, synod, turnout, vocal minority, wing

ROGET THESAURUS

caucus

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.

VB assemble, gather together, meet (assemblage), confer, caucus, hold council, huddle.