/kən'venʃn; kən`vɛnʃən/
n
1 [C] conference of members of a profession, political party, etc （某一职业、政党等之人士召开的）大会
*a teachers', dentists', etc convention 教师的、牙科医生的会议
* hold a convention 召开大会
* the US Democratic Party Convention, ie to elect a candidate for President 美国民主党代表大会（会上选出总统候选人）.
2 (a) [U] general, usu unspoken, agreement about how people should act or behave in certain circumstances （某种情况下的）习俗, 惯例
*Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规大臣在这种情况下应该辞职.
* By convention the deputy leader is always a woman. 按照惯例这一领导人的副职总是由女子担任.
* defy convention by wearing outrageous clothes 穿着奇装异服以对抗习俗
* a slave to convention, ie sb who always follows accepted ways of doing things 传统的奴隶（墨守成规的人）.
(b) [C] customary practice 惯常作法; 惯例
*the conventions which govern stock-market dealing 证券交易所遵循的惯例.
3 [C] agreement between states, rulers, etc that is less formal than a treaty （国家、首脑等之间的）协议, 协定
*the Geneva Convention, ie about the treatment of prisoners of war, etc （关于战俘待遇等问题的）日内瓦协定.

n
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French;Origin:Latin conventio, from convenire; CONVENIENT]
[C]
a large formal meeting for people who belong to the same profession or organization or who have the same interests
　a teachers' convention
　the city's new convention center
　a convention for science fiction fans
[C]
a formal agreement, especially between countries, about particular rules or behaviour
= pact, treaty treatyconvention on
　the European convention on human rights
[U and C]
behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal and right
= custom
　Playing together teaches children social conventions such as sharing.
　They defied the conventions of the time by living together without being married.
by convention
　By convention, the bride's father gives her away at her wedding.
[C]
a method or style often used in literature, art, the theatre etc to achieve a particular effect
　the conventions of the nineteenth century novel