v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Adjourned p. pr. & vb. n. Adjourning ] [ OE. ajornen, OF. ajoiner, ajurner, F. ajourner; OF. a (L. ad) + jor, jur, jorn, F. jour, day, fr. L. diurnus belonging to the day, fr. dies day. Cf. Journal, Journey. ] To put off or defer to another day, or indefinitely; to postpone; to close or suspend for the day; -- commonly said of the meeting, or the action, of convened body; as, to adjourn the meeting; to adjourn a debate. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is a common practice to adjourn the reformation of their lives to a further time. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis a needful fitness
That we adjourn this court till further day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To delay; defer; postpone; put off; suspend. -- To Adjourn, Prorogue, Dissolve. These words are used in respect to public bodies when they lay aside business and separate. Adjourn, both in Great Britain and this country, is applied to all cases in which such bodies separate for a brief period, with a view to meet again. Prorogue is applied in Great Britain to that act of the executive government, as the sovereign, which brings a session of Parliament to a close. The word is not used in this country, but a legislative body is said, in such a case, to adjourn sine die. To dissolve is to annul the corporate existence of a body. In order to exist again the body must be reconstituted. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To suspend business for a time, as from one day to another, or for a longer period, or indefinitely; usually, to suspend public business, as of legislatures and courts, or other convened bodies; as, congress adjourned at four o'clock; the court adjourned without day. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adjournment; postponement. [ R. ] “An adjournal of the Diet.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. f. adjournement, OF. ajornement. See Adjourn. ] 1. The act of adjourning; the putting off till another day or time specified, or without day. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The time or interval during which a public body adjourns its sittings or postpones business. [ 1913 Webster ]