from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Audience \Au"di*ence\, n. [F. audience, L. audientia, fr. audire
to hear. See {Audible}, a.]
1. The act of hearing; attention to sounds.
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Thou, therefore, give due audience, and attend.
--Milton.
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2. Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a
sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or
the transaction of business.
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According to the fair play of the world,
Let me have audience: I am sent to speak. --Shak.
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3. An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by
authors to their readers.
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Fit audience find, though few. --Milton.
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He drew his audience upward to the sky. --Dryden.
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{Court of audience}, or {Audience court} (Eng.), a court long
since disused, belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury;
also, one belonging to the Archbishop of York. --Mozley &
W.
{In general} (or {open}) {audience}, publicly.
{To give audience}, to listen; to admit to an interview.
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