- pocket borough
- noun Date: 1856 an English constituency controlled before parliamentary reform by a single person or family
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
pocket borough
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Pocket borough — Pocket Pock et (p[o^]k [e^]t), n. [OE. poket, Prov. F. & OF. poquette, F. pochette, dim. fr. poque, pouque, F. poche; probably of Teutonic origin. See {Poke} a pocket, and cf. {Poach} to cook eggs, to plunder, and {Pouch}.] 1. A bag or pouch;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Pocket borough — Borough Bor ough, n. [OE. burgh, burw, boru, port, town, burrow, AS. burh, burg; akin to Icel., Sw., & Dan. borg, OS. & D. burg, OHG. puruc, purc, MHG. burc, G. burg, Goth. ba[ u]rgs; and from the root of AS. beorgan to hide, save, defend, G.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pocket borough — n. in Great Britain before 1832, a borough whose representation in Parliament was controlled by one family or person … English World dictionary
pocket borough — 1. (before the Reform Bill of 1832) any English borough whose representatives in Parliament were controlled by an individual or family. 2. an election district under the control of an individual, family, or group. [1855 60] * * * ▪ British… … Universalium
pocket borough — noun a sparsely populated borough in which all or most of the land is owned by a single family • Hypernyms: ↑borough … Useful english dictionary
POCKET BOROUGH — a borough in which the influence of some magnate of the place determines the voting at an election time, a thing pretty much of the past … The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
pocket borough — A British parliamentary borough controlled by one person or group; common before parliamentary reforms of 1832 … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
pocket borough — noun historical (in the UK) a borough in which the election of political representatives was controlled by one person or family … English new terms dictionary
pocket borough — pock′et bor ough n. why (before 1832) an English borough whose representation in Parliament was controlled by an individual or family … From formal English to slang
Pocket — Pock et (p[o^]k [e^]t), n. [OE. poket, Prov. F. & OF. poquette, F. pochette, dim. fr. poque, pouque, F. poche; probably of Teutonic origin. See {Poke} a pocket, and cf. {Poach} to cook eggs, to plunder, and {Pouch}.] 1. A bag or pouch;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
