The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cabinet \Cab"i*net\ (k[a^]b"[i^]*n[e^]t), n. [F., dim. of cabine
   or cabane. See Cabin, n.]
   1. A hut; a cottage; a small house. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Hearken a while from thy green cabinet,
            The rural song of careful Colinet.    --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A small room, or retired apartment; a closet.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A private room in which consultations are held.
      [1913 Webster]

            Philip passed some hours every day in his father's
            cabinet.                              --Prescott.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. The advisory council of the chief executive officer of a
      nation; a cabinet council.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: In England, the cabinet or cabinet council consists of
         those privy councilors who actually transact the
         immediate business of the government. --Mozley & W. --
         In the United States, the cabinet is composed of the
         heads of the executive departments of the government,
         namely, the Secretary of State, of the Treasury, of
         War, of the Navy, of the Interior, and of Agiculture,
         the Postmaster-general, and the Attorney-general.
         [1913 Webster]

   5.
      (a) A set of drawers or a cupboard intended to contain
          articles of value. Hence:
      (b) A decorative piece of furniture, whether open like an
          ['e]tag[`e]re or closed with doors. See
          ['e]tag[`e]re.
          [1913 Webster]

   6. Any building or room set apart for the safe keeping and
      exhibition of works of art, etc.; also, the collection
      itself.
      [1913 Webster]

   Cabinet council.
      (a) Same as Cabinet, n., 4 (of which body it was
          formerly the full title).
      (b) A meeting of the cabinet.

   Cabinet councilor, a member of a cabinet council.

   Cabinet photograph, a photograph of a size smaller than an
      imperial, though larger than a carte de visite.

   Cabinet picture, a small and generally highly finished
      picture, suitable for a small room and for close
      inspection.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cabinet \Cab"i*net\, a.
   Suitable for a cabinet; small.
   [1913 Webster]

         He [Varnhagen von Ense] is a walking cabinet edition of
         Goethe.                                  --For. Quar.
                                                  Rev.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cabinet \Cab"i*net\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cabineted; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Cabineting.]
   To inclose [R.] --Hewyt.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

cabinet
    n 1: a piece of furniture resembling a cupboard with doors and
         shelves and drawers; for storage or display
    2: persons appointed by a head of state to head executive
       departments of government and act as official advisers
    3: a storage compartment for clothes and valuables; usually it
       has a lock [syn: cabinet, locker, storage locker]
    4: housing for electronic instruments, as radio or television
       [syn: cabinet, console]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

131 Moby Thesaurus words for "cabinet":
   British Cabinet, Canterbury, Sanhedrin, US Cabinet, advisors,
   advisory body, advisory council, adytum, armoire, assembly,
   association, bench, board, board of directors, board of regents,
   board of trustees, body of advisers, booking office,
   borough council, box office, brain trust, branch, branch office,
   buffet, bunker, bureau, cadre, camarilla, cellaret, chamber,
   chambers, chancellery, chancery, chassis, chest, chest of drawers,
   chiffonier, city council, closet, clothespress, committee, commode,
   common council, conference, congress, console, consulate,
   consultative assembly, corporate headquarters, council,
   council fire, council of ministers, council of state,
   council of war, county council, court, credenza, cupboard,
   davenport, deliberative assembly, den, desk, diet, directorate,
   directory, divan, drawer, dresser, embassy, escritoire,
   executive arm, executive committee, executive hierarchy,
   executive office, governing board, governing body, headquarters,
   holy of holies, home office, housing, infrastructure,
   interlocking directorate, junta, kitchen cabinet, legation,
   legislature, locker, lowboy, main office, management, ministry,
   office, parish council, press, privy council, radio,
   radio receiver, radio set, radio telescope, receiver,
   receiving set, retreat, sanctum, sanctum sanctorum, secretaire,
   secretary, set, shadow cabinet, shelf, shop, sideboard, soviet,
   staff, steering committee, study, syndicate, synod, tallboy,
   the administration, the brass, the executive, the people upstairs,
   ticket office, top brass, tribunal, vargueno, vitrine, wardrobe,
   whatnot, wireless, wireless set



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CABINET. Certain officers who taken collectively make a board; as, the
president's, cabinet, which is usually composed of the secretary of state,
secretary of the treasury, the attorney general, and some others.
     2. These officers are the advisers of the president.