Ad*journ (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Adjourned (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Adjourning (&?;).] [OE. ajornen, OF. ajoiner,
ajurner, F. ajourner; OF. a (L. ad) +
jor, jur, jorn, F. jour, day, fr. L.
diurnus belonging to the day, fr. dies day. Cf.
Journal, Journey.] To put off or defer to another day,
or indefinitely; to postpone; to close or suspend for the day; -- commonly
said of the meeting, or the action, of convened body; as, to adjourn
the meeting; to adjourn a debate.
It is a common practice to adjourn the reformation of
their lives to a further time.
Barrow.
'Tis a needful fitness
That we adjourn this court till further day.
Shak.
Syn. -- To delay; defer; postpone; put off; suspend. -- To
Adjourn, Prorogue, Dissolve. These words are used in
respect to public bodies when they lay aside business and separate.
Adjourn, both in Great Britain and this country, is applied to all
cases in which such bodies separate for a brief period, with a view to meet
again. Prorogue is applied in Great Britain to that act of the
executive government, as the sovereign, which brings a session of
Parliament to a close. The word is not used in this country, but a
legislative body is said, in such a case, to adjourn sine die. To
dissolve is to annul the corporate existence of a body. In order to
exist again the body must be reconstituted.
Ad*journ", v. i. To suspend business for
a time, as from one day to another, or for a longer period, or
indefinitely; usually, to suspend public business, as of legislatures and
courts, or other convened bodies; as, congress adjourned at four
o'clock; the court adjourned without day.
