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caucus
NOUN:

Mainly U.S. Politics:

1. a local meeting of party members to select candidates, elect convention delegates, etc.

2. a meeting of party members within a legislative body to select leaders and determine strategy.

3. (often initial capital letter) a faction within a legislative body that pursues its interests through the legislative process: 
the Women's Caucus; the Black Caucus.

4. any group or meeting organized to further a special interest or cause.

5. a group of leading politicians of one party.

6. a meeting of such a group.

7. a meeting of members of a political party to nominate candidates, choose convention delegates, plan campaign tactics, determine party policy, or select leaders for a legislature.

8. a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy: 
a presidential caucus. 

—Also, a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause.

Example:

the National Women's Political Caucus. —Merriam-Webster.

mainly US and Canadian:

1. a closed meeting of the members of one party in a legislative chamber, etc, to coordinate policy, choose candidates, etc.

2.  such a bloc of politicians:
the Democratic caucus in Congress.

British: 

a group or faction within a larger group, esp a political party, who discuss tactics, choose candidates, etc.

Australian: 

a group of MPs from one party who meet to discuss tactics, etc.

NZ: 

a formal meeting of all Members of Parliament belonging to one political party.

Origin:

An Americanism first recorded in 1755–65, apparently first used in the name of the Caucus Club of colonial Boston; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Medieval Latin caucus “drinking vessel,” Late Latin caucum, from Greek kaûkos; or perhaps from Virginia Algonquian Cawcawwassough “elders of the Chickahominy people”. Dictionary 2: C18: probably of Algonquian origin; related to caucauasu adviser. —Dictionary.com. // 

First Known Use of caucus: Noun: 1800. Verb: 1808. History and Etymology for caucus: Noun: origin unknown. —Merriam-Webster.

See "Did You Know?" at Merriam-Webster * 

Sources: 1, 2.

caucus
noun
verb
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