Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-MIT'TEE, n.

One or more persons elected or appointed, to whom any matter or business is referred, either by a legislative body or either branch of it; or by a court, or by any corporation, or by any society, or collective body of men acting together. In legislative bodies, a house or branch of that body may resolve or form itself into a committee, called a committee of the whole house, when the speaker leaves the chair, and one of the members acts as chairman. Standing committees are such as continue during the existence of the legislature, and to these are committed all matters that fall within the purposes of their appointment; as, the committee of elections, or of privileges, &c. Special committees are appointed to consider and report on particular subjects.