conclaves

Noun

conclave (plural conclaves)

1. The set of apartments in which cardinals are secluded while the process to elect a pope takes place.
   • On Friday, St. John's Day, the 27th of December, the cardinals entered the conclave. […] Two hours before nightfall, the whole body met again in a chapel within the conclave, and after the bull of pope Julius [II] against simoniacal practices had been read, every cardinal, in the presence of the...1867, J[ohn] S[herren] Brewer, “Introduction”, in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII. […], volume III, part I, London: Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer, →OCLC, pages...
2. A group of cardinals assembled to elect a new pope.
   • Of the ten Cardinals now forming the Conclave, five voted for Cardinal Geoffredo Castiglione [later Pope Celestine IV], a Milanese, nephew to Urban III, and three for Cardinal Romano [da Porto].1856, Mrs. William Busk [i.e., M. M. Busk], “Frederic II”, in Mediæval Popes, Emperors, Kings, and Crusaders; or, Germany, Italy, and Palestine, from A.D. 1125 to A.D. 1268, volume IV, London...
   1. (broadly) The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church collectively.
      • [Thomas] VVol[sey]. […] Rome (the Nurſe of Iudgement) / Inuited by your Noble ſelfe, hath ſent / One generall Tongue vnto vs. This good man, / This iuſt and learned Prieſt, Cardnall Campeius [Lorenzo Campeggio], / VVhom once more, I preſent vnto your Highneſſe. / Kin[g Henry VIII]. And once more in...1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio)...
3. A closed assembly at which cardinals elect a pope.
   • in conclave
   1. (broadly) A closed, private, or secret meeting, especially one of an ecclesiastical nature.
      • The morrow after which was the thirde daye of the Counſayle, as the Archbiſhop was ſitting beneth in a conclaue with his felow Biſhops about him, conſulting together, the ſayde Biſhops labored by ſundry wayes and meanes, and with verie vehement perſwaſions and learned arguments to wyll him to...1569, Richard Grafton, “Henry the Seconde”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye...
4. (obsolete) A private chamber or room.
   • [W]e in Europe, (notvvithſtanding all the remote Diſcoueries, and Nauigations of this laſt Age) neuer heard any of the leaſt Inkling or Glimſe of this Iſland. […] [W]ee neuer heard tell of any Shipp of theirs, that had been ſeene to arriue vpon any ſhore of Europe; […] For the Situation of it (as...1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn]...

   Synonyms:

   closet

See all 8 meanings of conclave