PARLIAMENT
fantan, sevens, parliament
(noun) a card game in which you play your sevens and other cards in sequence in the same suit as the sevens; you win if you are the first to use all your cards
parliament
(noun) a legislative assembly in certain countries
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Proper noun
Parliament
Any of several parliaments of various countries.
Etymology
Noun
parliament (countable and uncountable, plural parliaments)
(now, chiefly, historical) A formal council summoned (especially by a monarch) to discuss important issues. [from 13th c.]
In many countries, the legislative branch of government, a deliberative assembly or set of assemblies whose elected or appointed members meet to debate the major political issues of the day, make, amend, and repeal laws, authorize the executive branch of government to spend money, and in some cases exercise judicial powers; a legislature. [from 14th c.]
A particular assembly of the members of such a legislature, as convened for a specific purpose or period of time (commonly designated with an ordinal number – for example, first parliament or 12th parliament – or a descriptive adjective – for example, Long Parliament, Short Parliament and Rump Parliament). [from 14th c.]
A gathering of birds, especially rooks or owls. [from 15th c.]
(historical) Parliament cake, a type of gingerbread. [from 19th c.]
Usage notes
The word is usually capitalised when used as a proper noun referring to a particular parliament.
Source: Wiktionary
Par"lia*ment, n. Etym: [OE. parlement, F. parlement, fr. parler to
speak; cf. LL. parlamentum, parliamentum. See Parley.]
1. A parleying; a discussion; a conference. [Obs.]
But first they held their parliament. Rom. of R.
2. A formal conference on public affairs; a general council; esp., an
assembly of representatives of a nation or people having authority to
make laws.
They made request that it might be lawful for them to summon a
parliament of Gauls. Golding.
3. The assembly of the three estates of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, viz., the lords spiritual, lords temporal, and
the representatives of the commons, sitting in the House of Lords and
the House of Commons, constituting the legislature, when summoned by
the royal authority to consult on the affairs of the nation, and to
enact and repeal laws.
Note: Thought the sovereign is a constituting branch of Parliament,
the word is generally used to denote the three estates named above.
4. In France, before the Revolution of 1789, one of the several
principal judicial courts. Parliament heel, the inclination of a ship
when made to careen by shifting her cargo or ballast.
– Parliament hinge (Arch.), a hinge with so great a projection from
the wall or frame as to allow a door or shutter to swing back flat
against the wall.
– Long Parliament, Rump Parliament. See under Long, and Rump.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition