lobby
noun
- room in a building used for entry from the outside
verb
- ask a favor, ask a request, ask for
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈlɒb.i/ / /ˈlɑ.bi/ / /ˈlɔb.i/
noun
Etymology: Shortened from lobscouse.
- lobscouse
“My mam cooked us lobby for tea last night.”
verb
Etymology: 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.
- 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.”