joint resolution
     n : a resolution passed by both houses of Congress which becomes
         legally binding when signed by the chief executive (or
         passed over the executive's veto)

Joint \Joint\, a. [F., p. p. of joindre. See Join.]
   1. Joined; united; combined; concerted; as joint action.

   2. Involving the united activity of two or more; done or
      produced by two or more working together.

            I read this joint effusion twice over. --T. Hook.

   3. United, joined, or sharing with another or with others;
      not solitary in interest or action; holding in common with
      an associate, or with associates; acting together; as,
      joint heir; joint creditor; joint debtor, etc. ``Joint
      tenants of the world.'' --Donne.

   4. Shared by, or affecting two or more; held in common; as,
      joint property; a joint bond.

            A joint burden laid upon us all.      --Shak.

   Joint committee (Parliamentary Practice), a committee
      composed of members of the two houses of a legislative
      body, for the appointment of which concurrent resolutions
      of the two houses are necessary. --Cushing.

   Joint meeting, or Joint session, the meeting or session
      of two distinct bodies as one; as, a joint meeting of
      committees representing different corporations; a joint
      session of both branches of a State legislature to chose a
      United States senator. ``Such joint meeting shall not be
      dissolved until the electoral votes are all counted and
      the result declared.'' --Joint Rules of Congress, U. S.

   Joint resolution (Parliamentary Practice), a resolution
      adopted concurrently by the two branches of a legislative
      body. ``By the constitution of the United States and the
      rules of the two houses, no absolute distinction is made
      between bills and joint resolutions.'' --Barclay (Digest).

   Joint rule (Parliamentary Practice), a rule of proceeding
      adopted by the concurrent action of both branches of a
      legislative assembly. ``Resolved, by the House of
      Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the
      sixteenth and seventeenth joint rules be suspended for the
      remainder of the session.'' --Journal H. of R., U. S.

   Joint and several (Law), a phrase signifying that the debt,
      credit, obligation, etc., to which it is applied is held
      in such a way that the parties in interest are engaged
      both together and individually thus a joint and several
      debt is one for which all the debtors may be sued together
      or either of them individually.

   Joint stock, stock held in company.

   Joint-stock company (Law), a species of partnership,
      consisting generally of a large number of members, having
      a capital divided, or agreed to be divided, into shares,
      the shares owned by any member being usually transferable
      without the consent of the rest.

   Joint tenancy (Law), a tenure by two or more persons of
      estate by unity of interest, title, time, and possession,
      under which the survivor takes the whole. --Blackstone.

   Joint tenant (Law), one who holds an estate by joint
      tenancy.

Resolution \Res`o*lu"tion\ (-l?"sh?n), n. [F. r['e]solution. L.
   resolutio a loosening, solution. See Resolve.]
   1. The act, operation, or process of resolving. Specifically:
      (a) The act of separating a compound into its elements or
          component parts.
      (b) The act of analyzing a complex notion, or solving a
          vexed question or difficult problem.

                The unraveling and resolution of the
                difficulties that are met with in the execution
                of the design are the end of an action.
                                                  --Dryden.

   2. The state of being relaxed; relaxation. [Obs.]

   3. The state of being resolved, settled, or determined;
      firmness; steadiness; constancy; determination.

            Be it with resolution then to fight.  --Shak.

   4. That which is resolved or determined; a settled purpose;
      determination. Specifically: A formal expression of the
      opinion or will of an official body or a public assembly,
      adopted by vote; as, a legislative resolution; the
      resolutions of a public meeting.

   5. The state of being resolved or firm in opinion or thought;
      conviction; assurance. [Obs.]

            Little resolution and certainty there is as touching
            the islands of Mauritania.            --Holland.

   6. (Math.) The act or process of solving; solution; as, the
      resolution of an equation or problem.

   7. (Med.) A breaking up, disappearance; or termination, as of
      a fever, a tumor, or the like.

   8. (Mus.) The passing of a dissonant into a consonant chord
      by the rising or falling of the note which makes the
      discord.

   Joint resolution. See under Joint, a.

   Resolution of a force or motion (Mech.), the separation
      of a single force or motion into two or more which have
      different directions, and, taken together, are an
      equivalent for the single one; -- the opposite of
      composition of a force.

   Resolution of a nebula (Astron.), the exhibition of it to
      the eye by a telescope of such power as to show it to be
      composed of small stars.

   Syn: Decision; analysis; separation; disentanglement;
        dissolution; resolvedness; resoluteness; firmness;
        constancy; perseverance; steadfastness; fortitude;
        boldness; purpose; resolve. See Decision.