Cloture
/ˈkloʊ.tʃɚ/noun
A parliamentary procedure used to end debate and force a vote.
Did you know?Cloture entered English from French, where it literally means a closing or enclosure, and in modern politics it functions like a legal incantation to shut down endless debate.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
claudere
“to shut, close”
Late Latin
Late Latin
clausura
“a closing, enclosure”
Old French
French
closture / cloiture
“a closing, enclosure; a fence or barrier”
19th Century
English
cloture
“a closure or ending, especially of debate”
Modern English
English
cloture
“a parliamentary motion to end debate and proceed to a vote”