Dictionary

plenum en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpliːnəm/ (UK)
• /ˈplinəm/ (US)
• /ˈplɛnəm/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin plēnum n (“space filled with matter”), from plēnus (“full”). The sense of "legislative meeting" is a semantic loan from Russian пле́нум (plénum, “plenary session”), from the same Latin source.

Meanings

1. A space that is completely filled with matter.
   • The idea was that a thing could only move into an empty place, and that, in a plenum, there are no empty places. 1946, Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy:
   • The key to understanding medieval interpretations of motion in hypothetically void space is to realize that medieval natural philosophers analyzed the same bodies in the void that they discussed in the plenum of their ordinary world. 2001, Edward Grant, God and Reason in the Middle Ages, page 176:
2. (figuratively) A state of fullness, a great quantity (of something).
   • He lay on the long stone slant down to the slapping waves, his denim shorts, sneakers, and socks under his head for a pillow, feeling the splendour of distance in all directions, the liquid silence, the plenum of aloneness. 1974, Guy Davenport, Tatlin!:
3. A legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present.
4. An enclosed space having greater than atmospheric pressure.
5. The space above a false ceiling used for cables, ducts etc.
6. A type of network cabling which satisfies a given plenum rating for the purpose of fire safety.

Forms

Antonyms

vacuum

Deriveds

plenum chamber · plenum rating · nonplenum

Relateds

in pleno · plenary

Translations (41)

cmn 充實 /充实 (a space that is completely filled with matter) · ja 総会 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ja 全体会議 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · cmn 充實 /充实 (a state of fullness, a great quantity (of something)) · ja プレナム (enclosed space having greater than atmospheric pressure) · nn plenum (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ja 充実 (a space that is completely filled with matter) · fa پلنوم (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ru полнота́ (a state of fullness, a great quantity (of something)) · be пле́нум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ru пле́нум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ko 전원회의 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · cmn 充滿 /充满 (a state of fullness, a great quantity (of something)) · cmn 全會 /全会 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · cmn 充滿 /充满 (a space that is completely filled with matter) · es pleno (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · bg пълнота́ (a state of fullness, a great quantity (of something)) · fi täysi tila (a space that is completely filled with matter) · fi alakaton päällä oleva tila (space above a false ceiling used for cables, ducts etc.) · ja 充実 (a state of fullness, a great quantity (of something)) · fi alakaton ontelo (space above a false ceiling used for cables, ducts etc.) · pl plenum (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · cmn 全體會議 /全体会议 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ja プレナム (type of network cabling which satisfies a given plenum rating) · kk пленум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · cmn 高壓 /高压 (enclosed space having greater than atmospheric pressure) · uk пле́нум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · el ολομέλεια (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · kk алқалық жиналыс (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ja プレナム (space above a false ceiling used for cables, ducts etc.) · fi alakaton yläpuolinen tila (space above a false ceiling used for cables, ducts etc.) · bg пле́нум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · ko 총회 (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · fi ylipainetila (enclosed space having greater than atmospheric pressure) · fi täysistunto (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · fi yleiskokous (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · de Plenum (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · la plēnum (a space that is completely filled with matter) · kk алқалық мәжіліс (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · nb plenum (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present) · mk пленум (a legislative meeting (especially of the Communist Party) in which all members are present)