lobby

See also: Lobby

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɒbi/
  • Rhymes: -ɒbi
• IPA^(key): /lɑbi/

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French *lobie, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Medieval Latin lobium, lobia, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old High German laubia (“roof, hall”) or (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Frankish *laubija (“arbour, shelter”); both from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *laubijǭ (“roof, ceiling, covering”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to break off, peel, damage”). Related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf.

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.

Noun

lobby (plural lobbies)

1. An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.

   I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.

2. That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
3. A class or group of people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.

   The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US.

4. (video games) A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
5. (nautical) 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.

Derived terms

• gun lobby
• lobbier
• lobbyism
• lobbyist

Descendants

Descendants of lobby in other languages

• → Armenian: լոբբի (lobbi)
• → Catalan: lobby
• → Danish: lobby
• → Dutch: lobby
• → French: lobby
• → German: Lobby
• → Italian: lobby
• → Japanese: ロビー (robī)
• → Korean: 로비 (robi)

• → Macedonian: лоби (lobi)
• → Polish: lobby
• → Portuguese: lobby, lóbi
• → Russian: ло́бби (lóbbi)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  → Cyrillic script: лоби

  → Latin script: lobi

• → Slovene: lobi
• → Spanish: lobby

Translations

entryway or waiting area; vestibule

• Armenian: նախասրահ (hy) (naxasrah)
• Catalan: vestíbul (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 門廳／门厅 (zh) (méntīng), 门厅 (zh) (méntīng), 休息室 (zh) (xiūxishì), 大廳／大厅 (zh) (dàtīng), 大厅 (zh) (dàtīng)

• Danish: lobby c
• Finnish: aula (fi), halli (fi), eteinen (fi)
• French: vestibule (fr) m, foyer (fr) m
• Gallurese: patiu, intrata
• German: Lobby (de) n, Foyer (de) n, Vorraum (de) m, Vorhalle f
• Icelandic: anddyri (is) n, forstofa (is) f, forsalur m, fordyri n, forbyrgi n
• Italian: atrio (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ロビー (ja) (robī), 休息所 (きゅうそくじょ, kyūsokujo)
• Portuguese: saguão (pt) m, vestíbulo (pt) m, átrio (pt) m
• Russian: коридо́р (ru) m (koridór), вестибю́ль (ru) m (vestibjúlʹ), фойе́ (ru) n (fojé), холл (ru) m (xoll), прихо́жая (ru) f (prixóžaja)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: patiu

  Logudorese: patiu m

• Sassarese: patiu
• Scottish Gaelic: eadar-sheòmar m, for-sheòmar m
• Spanish: vestíbulo (es) m, recibidor m, zaguán (es) m, atrio (es) m
• Vietnamese:
  hành lang (vi),
  phòng chờ, phòng đợi,
  tiền sảnh, đại sảnh

group of people who try to lobby

• Armenian: լոբբի (hy) (lobbi)
• Catalan: lobby m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遊說集團／游说集团 (yóushuì jítuán), 游说集团 (yóushuì jítuán)

• Danish: lobby c
• French: lobby (fr) m
• German: Lobby (de) n
• Hebrew: שדולה (he) f (shdula)
• Italian: lobby (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ロビー (ja) (robī), 圧力団体 (ja) (あつりょくだんたい, atsuryoku dantai)
• Korean: 로비 (ko) (robi)
• Portuguese: lobby (pt) m, lóbi (pt) m
• Russian: ло́бби (ru) n (lóbbi)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: лоби m

  Roman: lobi (sh) m

• Slovene: lobi m
• Spanish: lobby (es) m

Verb

lobby (third-person singular simple present lobb, present participle ies, simple past and past participle lobbied)

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

   For years, pro-life groups have continued to lobby hard for restrictions on abortion.

   • 2002, Jim Hightower, in Wikiquote

     The corporations don't have to lobby the government anymore. They are the government.

   • 2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1):

     Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Yeah, it's not a big deal. I lobbied for fuel-cell technology on Capitol Hill. I'm friends with Sandy Bullock, really good friends. Who cares? It's not a pissing contest, right, J?

   • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.

Related terms

• lobbying
• lobbyist

Translations

To attempt to influence

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遊說／游说 (zh) (yóushuì), 游说 (zh) (yóushuì)

• Danish: lobbye
• Finnish: lobata (fi)
• French: faire pression sur
• Georgian: ლობირება (lobireba)
• German: lobbyieren (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: lobbować (pl)
• Portuguese: fazer lobby
• Russian: лобби́ровать (ru) (lobbírovatʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: coitich
• Slovene: lobirati
• Spanish: cabildear (es), recabar (es)
• Vietnamese: vận động hành lang

Etymology 2

Noun

lobby (uncountable)

1. (informal) scouse (from lobscouse)
   • My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night.

Further reading

• “lobby”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “lobby”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “lobby”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɔ.bi/

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbies)

1. lobby (hall)
2. lobby (advocacy group)

Synonyms

• (advocacy group): groupe de pression

Further reading

• “lobby”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Noun

lobby f (uncountable)

1. lobby (group of people; hall of a bank)

Derived terms

• lobbista

Further reading

• lobby in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

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Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔ.bi/

Noun

1. (politics) lobby (group of people who try to influence public officials)
2. lobby (reception area of a large building)
3. (Internet) lobby (virtual area where users find other users to a start a private conversation or video-game match with)

Synonyms

• lóbi (uncommon)

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English lobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlobi/ [ˈlo.β̞i]

Noun

lobby m (plural lobbys)

1. lobby (group of people who try to influence public officials)