House of Commons

“House”, in this term, means a deliberative assembly, while “the Commons” stands for “the common people”, as opposed to nobility.

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the House of Commons

1. (UK politics) The lower house of the British Parliament.
   • 2024 March 20, Conrad Landin, “"Farcical" Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act isn't working”, in RAIL, number 1005, page 25:

     When the legislation was debated by the House of Commons, Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said it was "riddled with holes", while former Conservative Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was "badly written".

2. (Canada, politics) The lower house of the Canadian Parliament.

• Commons; Commons House (uncommon)

• Houses of Parliament
• House of Lords
• Prime Minister
• Member of Parliament

House of Commons (plural Houses of Commons)

1. A session of the House of Commons.
   • 1842, William Chambers et al., Chambers's Information for the People, page 178:

     Reckoning from 1802 till November 15, 1837, there were thirteen Houses of Commons

2. (Canada slang, humorous euphemistic) An outhouse: an outbuilding used as a lavatory.
   • 1987, Chris Thain, Cold as a Bay Street Banker's Heart, page 86:

     Right across western Canada, the "house of commons" is the biffey. Now that should tell you something about the way westerners feel about the goings-on in Ottawa.

• house of commons

• commons, common house; see also Thesaurus:bathroom

• The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. "House of Commons".