WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : As*sem"bly
Part of Speech : n.; pl. Assemblies.
Etymology : [F. assembl?e, fr. assembler. See Assemble.]
Definition : 1. A company of persons collected together in one place, and usually for some common purpose, esp. for deliberation and legislation, for worship, or for social entertainment.

2. A collection of inanimate objects. [Obs.] Howell.

3. (Mil.)

Defn: A beat of the drum or sound of the bugle as a signal to troops to assemble.

Note: In some of the United States, the legislature, or the popular branch of it, is called the Assembly, or the General Assembly. In the Presbyterian Church, the General Assembly is the highest ecclesiastical tribunal, composed of ministers and ruling elders delegated from each presbytery; as, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, or of Scotland. Assembly room, a room in which persons assemble, especially for dancing. -- Unlawful assembly (Law), a meeting of three or more persons on a common plan, in such a way as to cause a reasonable apprehension that they will disturb the peace tumultuously. -- Westminster Assembly, a convocation, consisting chiefly of divines, which, by act of Parliament, assembled July 1, 1643, and remained in session some years. It framed the "Confession of Faith," the "Larger Catechism," and the "Shorter Catechism," which are still received as authority by Presbyterians, and are substantially accepted by Congregationalists.

Syn. -- See Assemblage.


Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913