(a) A meeting, conference, council; commune ~, a meeting of all citizens of a city; general ~, gret ~, a meeting which represents an entire nation, army, etc.; (b) a convocation of ecclesiastics; also, a convention of friars, a meeting of the nuns of a convent; general ~, gret ~, a council representing the Church as a whole, ecumenical council.

The act of discussing or conferring; drauen ~, to confer; drauen in ~, callen (clepen, haven) to ~, call (sb.) into a consultation, draw (sb.) into a discussion.

(a) A body of advisers to a ruler; esp., the Privy Council of the English king, kinges ~; prive ~, the Privy Council of England; also, a similar council in another country; (b) the administrative body of a town or city; commune(s ~, ~ of the chaumbre, the common council or mayor's council of an English town; (c) the College of Cardinals, commune ~; (d) a bishop's council, ?cathedral chapter; (e) the Jewish Sanhedrin.

(a) An adviser, a counselor; ben of ~, to be one of those consulted (about sth.), be an adviser (to sb.); -- with genitive: be (someone's) adviser or confidant, share (someone's) plans or secrets; (b) a legal adviser, lawyer, counsel or advocate; lerned ~, man of ~, a trained lawyer or barrister; ben of ~, to be (someone's) legal adviser; ben of ~ for, plead in (a lawsuit); ben of ~ with, be the legal adviser or representative of (sb.); (c) a Roman consul; (d) personal name.

(a) Counsel, advice, instruction; (b) asken ~, to seek advice; yeven ~, give advice; (c) nimen ~, taken ~, to get advice (from sb.); consult, deliberate, consider; think (about sth.); (d) werken bi (with) ~, to follow advice; act after due consideration or consultation; (e) a Scriptural counsel (as distinguished from a precept or commandment) directed to those who would be especially holy, a counsel of perfection; under ~, advised or recommended (but not commanded).

(a) A decision; a plan, scheme; commune ~, general decision, consensus; (b) maken ~, nimen ~, to decide (to do sth.).

Agreement, assent, permission; asken ~, to ask permission; yeven ~, give consent.

(a) A secret, private matter(s, a secret plan; prive ~; nimen into ~, to take (sb.) into one's confidence; (b) coveren ~, helen ~, hiden ~, holden ~, kepen ~, to keep a secret, keep (someone's) secret; (c) in ~, secretly, in confidence; in gret ~, in great secrecy; in no ~, openly; stonden in ~ with, be in (someone's) confidence, be in league with (sb.); (d) ben ~, to be (a) secret; holden ~, kepen ~, keep (sth.) a secret, keep (sth.) concealed; -- often adj. or quasi adj.

Ability to advise, judgment; wisdom.

Cpds. and combs. ~ chaumbre, the room in which a council meets; ~ hous, the building in which a council meets; ~ telling, the blabbing of secrets; ~ yeving, the giving of advice.