curia

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Curia
    n 1: (Roman Catholic Church) the central administration
         governing the Roman Catholic Church

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Curia \Cu"ri*a\ (k?"r?-?), n.; pl. {Curle} (-?). [L.]
   1. (Rom. Antiq.)
      (a) One of the thirty parts into which the Roman people
          were divided by Romulus.
      (b) The place of assembly of one of these divisions.
      (c) The place where the meetings of the senate were held;
          the senate house.
          [1913 Webster]

   2. (Middle Ages) The court of a sovereign or of a feudal
      lord; also; his residence or his household. --Burrill.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Law) Any court of justice.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. The Roman See in its temporal aspects, including all the
      machinery of administration; -- called also {curia
      Romana}.
      [1913 Webster]

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

CURIA. A court of justice.