Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A parliamentary procedure by which debate is ended and an immediate vote is taken on the matter under discussion.
  • transitive verb To apply cloture to (a parliamentary debate).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun law In legislative assemblies that permit unlimited debate (filibuster); a motion, procedure or rule, by which debate is ended so that a vote may be taken on the matter. For example, in the United States Senate, a three-fifths majority vote of the body is required to invoke cloture and terminate debate.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French clôture, from Old French closture, probably alteration of closure, closure; see closure.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the French clôture, closure.

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