古羅馬的元老院（歷史源頭）
這是這個字的歷史源頭，也是其他用法的母體。
Roman Senate · noun · B2
The highest group of leaders in the government of ancient Rome.
元老院
核心畫面
A council of elders — the senior, weighty body of people who sit together to govern, originally the old men of Rome whose word carried authority.
可以想成一群「年長的、有份量的人」坐在一起治理眾人的最高議事機構。這個畫面最早來自古羅馬：由資深的長者組成、說話有權…更多收起
可以想成一群「年長的、有份量的人」坐在一起治理眾人的最高議事機構。這個畫面最早來自古羅馬：由資深的長者組成、說話有權威的元老團。後來凡是這種「位階最高、坐下來開會做決定」的議會，都借用了這個畫面。From the word’s history
From Latin senatus 'council of elders', from senex 'old man' (the same root as senior).
源自拉丁文 senatus（長老議會），字根 senex 意為「老人」，與 senior（資深的）同源。所以 senate 的底層畫面比較像「由資深長者組成的議事會」。
Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), 'senate'
Three branches
現代國家的參議院
把羅馬元老院那個「資深、有權的議事團」的畫面，搬到現代國家的立法機構上——成了兩院制裡較小、權力較大的那一院。
senate (US upper house) · noun · B2
The smaller and more powerful of the two law-making bodies in countries such as the US.
參議院
大學的評議會
再把「最高議事團」的畫面移到校園裡——大學裡負責管理、做重大決定的最高層級會議。
university senate · noun · B2
The main group of people who manage and make decisions at some universities.
大學評議會
原始詞典資料9 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
Senatename
- 1
Any of several legislative bodies. (In countries which have multiple legislative bodies, the Senate is often the more senior.)
- 2
historicalThe council that governed the ancient Roman Republic.
- 3
The Senate of Canada; the upper house of the Canadian parliament; "the Senate".
- 4
The United States Senate.
- 5
The upper legislative body of many of the states of the United States.
- 6
The upper house of the Philippine Congress.
senatenoun/ˈsɛnɪt/
- 1
In some bicameral legislative systems, the upper house or chamber.
- 2
A group of experienced, respected, wise individuals serving as decision makers or advisors in a political system or in institutional governance, as in a university, and traditionally of advanced age.
- Before the Tyrant's throne All night his aged Senate sate.
- 3
In Germany, the executive branch of government in the city states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg; the governments of cities that were part of the Hanseatic League; and the bench in a higher appellate court.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。