pocket borough
noun
(before the Reform Bill of 1832) any English borough whose representatives in Parliament were controlled by an individual or family.
an election district under the control of an individual, family, or group.
Origin of pocket borough
First recorded in 1855–60
Words nearby pocket borough
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British Dictionary definitions for pocket borough
pocket borough
noun
(before the Reform Act of 1832) an English borough constituency controlled by one person or family who owned the land
Compare rotten borough