# congress
## English
### Etymology

From Latin congress(um), the past participle of congredior (“I go, come together”), itself from con- + gradior (“I go, step”). The verb is from the noun.
Compare typologically coven, convent, convention, several steps omitting from con- + veniō, Russian сход (sxod), схо́дка (sxódka), akin to сходи́ться (sxodítʹsja), ходи́ть (xodítʹ). Also compare Czech sjezd, Russian съезд (sʺjezd), akin to съезжа́ться (sʺjezžátʹsja), е́здить (jézditʹ). Also compare conference.

### Pronunciation

* (noun:)
** (General American) IPA: /ˈkɑŋɡɹəs/, /-ɹɛs/
** (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈkɒŋˌɡɹɛs/
** Audio (US):(file)
* (verb:)
** IPA: /kənˈɡɹɛs/, /kəŋˈɡɹɛs/
** Rhymes: -ɛs

### Noun

congress (countable and uncountable, plural congresses)
* (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: […] 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.
* A formal gathering or assembly; a conference held to discuss or decide on a specific question.
* (often capitalized) A legislative body of a state, originally the bicameral legislature of the United States of America.
    Synonyms: assembly, legislature, parliament
* An association, especially one consisting of other associations or representatives of interest groups.
    Synonym: federation
    The National Congress of American Indians
* (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.
* (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.

#### Derived terms

* congresscritter
* congressfolk
* congressfolks
* congress gaiter, congress shoe
* congress grass
* congressional, congressionally
* congressive
* congressjerk
* congressman
* Congress Party
* congressperson
* congresswoman
* marital congress
* sexual congress
* suspended congress
* uncongressed

#### Translations
### Verb

congress (third-person singular simple present congresses, present participle congressing, simple past and past participle congressed)
* (intransitive) To assemble together.
* To meet in a congress.