town meeting

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

• noun A legislative assembly of inhabitants of a town.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun In New England. New York, Wisconsin, Michigan. Minnesota, and Illinois, a primary meeting of the voters of a town or township, legally summoned for the consideration of matters of local administration. The functions of the town-meeting are most extensive in New England.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a meeting of the inhabitants of a town
• noun government of a town by an assembly of the qualified voters