1. [n]  a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
2. [n]  a lawyer who pleads cases in court
3. [v]  speak, plead, or argue in favour of; "The doctor advocated a smoking ban in the entire house"
4. [v]  push for something; "The travel agent recommended strongly that we not travel on Thanksgiving Day"

1. \Ad"vo*cate\, n. [OE. avocat, avocet, OF. avocat, fr.
   L. advocatus, one summoned or called to another; properly the
   p. p. of advocare to call to, call to one's aid; ad + vocare
   to call. See {Advowee}, {Avowee}, {Vocal}.]
   1. One who pleads the cause of another. Specifically: One who
      pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial
      court; a counselor.
   
   Note: In the English and American Law, advocate is the same
         as ``counsel,'' ``counselor,'' or ``barrister.'' In the
         civil and ecclesiastical courts, the term signifies the
         same as ``counsel'' at the common law.
   
   2. One who defends, vindicates, or espouses any cause by
      argument; a pleader; as, an advocate of free trade, an
      advocate of truth.
   
   3. Christ, considered as an intercessor.
   
            We have an Advocate with the Father.  --1 John ii.
                                                  1.
   
   {Faculty of advocates} (Scot.), the Scottish bar in
      Edinburgh.
   
   {Lord advocate} (Scot.), the public prosecutor of crimes, and
      principal crown lawyer.
   
   {Judge advocate}. See under {Judge}.
   
   

2. \Ad"vo*cate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Advocated}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Advocating}.] [See {Advocate}, n., {Advoke}, {Avow}.]
   To plead in favor of; to defend by argument, before a
   tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend
   publicly.
   
         To advocate the cause of thy client.     --Bp.
                                                  Sanderson
                                                  (1624).
   
         This is the only thing distinct and sensible, that has
         been advocated.                          --Burke.
   
         Eminent orators were engaged to advocate his cause.
                                                  --Mitford.
   
   

3. \Ad"vo*cate\, v. i.
   To act as advocate. [Obs.] --Fuller.
   
   

(Gr. parakletos), one who pleads another's cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him. It is a name given by Christ three times to the Holy Ghost (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7, where the Greek word is rendered "Comforter," q.v.). It is applied to Christ in 1 John 2:1, where the same Greek word is rendered "Advocate," the rendering which it should have in all the places where it occurs. Tertullus "the orator" (Acts 24:1) was a Roman advocate whom the Jews employed to accuse Paul before Felix.