lobby

 
Pronunciation: /ˈlɒbi/

noun (plural lobbies)

  • 1a room providing a space out of which one or more other rooms or corridors lead, typically one near the entrance of a public building: they went into the hotel lobby
  • 2(in the UK) any of several large halls in the Houses of Parliament in which MPs may meet members of the public.
  • (also division lobby) (in the UK) each of two corridors in the Houses of Parliament to which MPs retire to vote.
  • (the lobby) informal (in the UK) lobby correspondents collectively.
  • 3a group of people seeking to influence legislators on a particular issue: members of the anti-abortion lobby
  • [in singular] an organized attempt by members of the public to influence legislators: a recent lobby of Parliament by pensioners

verb (lobbies, lobbying, lobbied)

[with object]
  • seek to influence (a legislator) on an issue: they insist on their right to lobby Congress [no object]: the organization was formed to lobby for student concerns

Derivatives

lobbyist

noun

Origin:

mid 16th century (in the sense 'monastic cloister'): from medieval Latin lobia, lobium 'covered walk, portico'. The verb sense (originally US) derives from the practice of frequenting the lobby of a house of legislature to influence its members into supporting a cause