congress

From Latin congressum, the past participle of congredior (“I go, come together”), itself from con- + gradior (“I go, step”). The verb is from the noun.

• (noun:)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑŋɡɹəs/, /-ɹɛs/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒŋˌɡɹɛs/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (verb:)
  • IPA^(key): /kənˈɡɹɛs/, /kəŋˈɡɹɛs/
  • Rhymes: -ɛs

congress (countable and uncountable, plural congresses)

1. (archaic) A coming together of two or more people; a meeting.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
     , New York Review of Books, 2001, p.48:

     After some little repast, he went to see Democritus […]. The multitude stood gazing round about to see the congress.

2. A formal gathering or assembly; a conference held to discuss or decide on a specific question.
3. (often capitalized) A legislative body of a state, originally the bicameral legislature of the United States of America.

   Synonyms: assembly, legislature, parliament

4. An association, especially one consisting of other associations or representatives of interest groups.

   Synonym: federation

   The National Congress of American Indians

5. (dated) Coitus; sexual intercourse.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:sexual intercourse

   • 1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)‎:

     Welsh ponies, I learn from a man who has had much experience with these animals, habitually produce erections and emissions in their stalls; they do not bring their hind quarters up during this process, and they close their eyes, which does not take place when they have congress with mares.

   • 1985, Cormac McCarthy, chapter 1, in Blood Meridian […] , →OCLC:

     Not three weeks before this he was run out of Fort Smith Arkansas for having congress with a goat. Yes lady, that is what I said. Goat.

6. (countable, collective) A group of baboons; the collective noun for baboons.
   • 1966, Philip José Farmer, “Riverworld”, in Down in the Black Gang and Others‎, Garden City, NY: Nelson Doubleday, published 1971, page 79:

     […] the council hall stank like a congress of baboons.

   • 2013, Dick Hrebik, Walter Goes to War—WWII, Rolling Meadows, IL: Windy City Publishers, Chapter 7, p. 133,

     Saw a congress of baboons of all sizes making their way to a mountaintop to spend the night on the rocks and trees there.

congress (third-person singular simple present congresses, present participle congressing, simple past and past participle congressed)

1. (intransitive) To assemble together.
2. To meet in a congress.