a system of jurisprudence based on judicial precedents rather than statutory laws; "common law originated in the unwritten laws of England and was later applied in the United States"
concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest; "a selfish and designing nation obsessed with the dark schemes of European intrigue"- W.Churchill; "a scheming wife"; "a scheming gold digger"
a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)
(astronomy) a collection of star systems; any of the billions of systems each having many stars and nebulae and dust; "`extragalactic nebula' is a former name for `galaxy'"