| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
| |
| filibuster |
| |
| SYLLABICATION: | fil·i·bus·ter |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  f l  -b s tr |
| NOUN: | 1a. The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action. b. An instance of the use of this delaying tactic. 2. An adventurer who engages in a private military action in a foreign country. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: fil·i·bus·tered, fil·i·bus·ter·ing, fil·i·bus·ters
| | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To use obstructionist tactics in a legislative body. 2. To take part in a private military action in a foreign country. | | TRANSITIVE VERB: | To use a filibuster against (a legislative measure, for example). | | ETYMOLOGY: | From Spanish filibustero, freebooter, from French flibustier, from Dutch vrijbuiter, pirate. See freebooter. | | OTHER FORMS: | fili·buster·er —NOUN
| | |
| |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
