lobby

See also: Lobby

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /lɒbi/
    • Rhymes: -ɒbi
  • (US) IPA(key): /lɑbi/

Etymology 1

From Old French *lobie, from Medieval Latin lobium, lobia, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Old High German laubia (“roof, hall”) or Frankish *laubija (“arbour, shelter”); both from Proto-Germanic *laubijǭ (“roof, ceiling, covering”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to beak off, peel, damage”). Related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf.

Political sense from entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the easiest place to meet them.

Noun

lobby (plural lobbies)

  1. An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
    I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.
  2. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
  3. A class or group of people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
    The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US.
  4. (video games) A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
  5. (nautical) An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
  6. A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges, trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard.
  7. A margin along either side of the playing field in the sport of kabaddi.
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations

Verb

lobby (third-person singular simple present lobbies, present participle lobbying, simple past and past participle lobbied)

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause.
    For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion.
    • 2002, Jim Hightower, in Wikiquote
      The corporations don't have to lobby the government anymore. They are the government.
    • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.
Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

lobby (uncountable)

  1. (informal) scouse (from lobscouse)
    • My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night.

Further reading

  • lobby in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • lobby in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • lobby at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɔ.bi/

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbies)

  1. lobby (hall)
  2. lobby (advocacy group)

Synonyms

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Noun

lobby f (invariable)

  1. lobby (group of people; hall of a bank)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbies or lobbys (rare))

  1. (politics) lobby (group of people who try to influence public officials)
  2. lobby (reception area of a large building)
  3. (Internet) lobby (virtual area where users find other users to a start a private conversation or video-game match with)

Synonyms

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbys)

  1. lobby (group of people who try to influence public officials)
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