lobby

Meaning

Noun

1. An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
2. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
3. A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
4. A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
5. 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.
8. A waiting area in front of a bank of elevators.

Verb

To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɒb.i/

Etymology

From Old French *lobie, from Medieval Latin lobium, lobia, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”).
Related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of lodge and loggia.
Political sense derives from the entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the most convenient place to meet them.

Sentences

The south lobby was restructured with a new entryway and dramatic atrium .