symposium
UK /sɪmˈpəʊziəm/ · US /sɪmˈpoʊziəm/ noun
Forms symposiums symposia
- noun A conference or other meeting for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants make presentations.
- noun A drinking party in Ancient Greece, especially one with intellectual discussion.
- noun A collection of essays, articles or papers on a particular subject by a number of contributors.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin symposium, from Ancient Greek συμπόσιον (sumpósion, “drinking party”) from συμπίνω (sumpínō, “drink together”), from συν- (sun-, “together-”) + πίνω (pínō, “drink”). Morphologically compare compotation.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A drinking together; a merry feast. T. Warton.
- noun A collection of short essays by different authors on a common topic; --so called from the appellation given to the philosophical dialogue by the Greeks.
Etymology [L., fr. Gr. sympo`sion a drinking party, feast; sy`n with + po`sis a drinking. See Syn-, and cf. Potable.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “symposium”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details