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casting vote definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the deciding vote cast by the presiding officer to resolve a tie

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1678 a deciding vote cast by a presiding officer to break a tie

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vote Vote, n. [L. votum a vow, wish, will, fr. vovere, votum, to vow: cf. F. vote. See Vow.] 1. An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer. [Obs.] --Massinger. 2. A wish, choice, or opinion, of a person or a body of persons, expressed in some received and authorized way; the expression of a wish, desire, will, preference, or choice, in regard to any measure proposed, in which the person voting has an interest in common with others, either in electing a person to office, or in passing laws, rules, regulations, etc.; suffrage. 3. That by means of which will or preference is expressed in elections, or in deciding propositions; voice; a ballot; a ticket; as, a written vote. The freeman casting with unpurchased hand The vote that shakes the turrets of the land. --Holmes. 4. Expression of judgment or will by a majority; legal decision by some expression of the minds of a number; as, the vote was unanimous; a vote of confidence. 5. Votes, collectively; as, the Tory vote; the labor vote. Casting vote, Cumulative vote, etc. See under Casting, Cumulative, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Casting Cast"ing, n. 1. The act of one who casts or throws, as in fishing. 2. The act or process of making casts or impressions, or of shaping metal or plaster in a mold; the act or the process of pouring molten metal into a mold. 3. That which is cast in a mold; esp. the mass of metal so cast; as, a casting in iron; bronze casting. 4. The warping of a board. --Brande & C. 5. The act of casting off, or that which is cast off, as skin, feathers, excrement, etc. Casting of draperies, the proper distribution of the folds of garments, in painting and sculpture. Casting line (Fishing), the leader; also, sometimes applied to the long reel line. Casting net, a net which is cast and drawn, in distinction from a net that is set and left. Casting voice, Casting vote, the decisive vote of a presiding officer, when the votes of the assembly or house are equally divided. ``When there was an equal vote, the governor had the casting voice.'' --B. Trumbull.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(casting votes) When a committee has given an equal number of votes for and against a proposal, the chairperson can give a casting vote. This vote decides whether or not the proposal will be passed. The vote was tied and a local union leader used his casting vote in favour of the return to work. N-COUNT: usu sing