rotten borough
noun
(before the Reform Bill of 1832) any English borough that had very few voters yet was represented in Parliament.
an election district that has more representatives in a legislative body than the number of its constituents would normally call for.
Origin of rotten borough
First recorded in 1805–15
Words nearby rotten borough
rotovate,
rotproof,
rotte,
rotten,
rotten apple,
rotten borough,
rotten egg,
rotten ice,
rotten to the core,
rottenstone,
rotter
Example sentences from the Web for rotten borough
Here I came up with my sons, and we entered the rotten-borough together.
Rural Rides |William Cobbett
British Dictionary definitions for rotten borough
rotten borough
noun
(before the Reform Act of 1832) any of certain English parliamentary constituencies with only a very few electors
Compare pocket borough