Added 9 October 2026
lobby
/ˈlɒb.i/ noun
Latin root: lobia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lobby at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.
- That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
-
A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US.
verb
noun
Origin
From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, 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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)