symposium

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin symposium, from Ancient Greek συμπόσιον (sumpósion, “drinking party”) from συμπίνω (sumpínō, “drink together”) συν- (sun-, “together-”) + πίνω (pínō, “drink”).

noun

1. A conference or other meeting for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants make presentations.
2. A drinking party in Ancient Greece, especially one with intellectual discussion.
3. A collection of essays, articles or papers on a particular subject by a number of contributors.
   THE CONCISE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF WORLD RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES. Edited by P. Ransome-Wallis. Hutchinson. 50s. … The work is a symposium by writers who are mostly specialists in the topics about which they write. 1960 January, “New reading on railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 26