Command, kom-mand′, v.t. to order: to bid: to exercise supreme authority over: (Shak.) to demand: to cause to act: (Shak.) to exact: to have within sight, influence, or control.—v.i. to have chief authority: to govern.—n. an order: authority: message: the ability to overlook or influence: the thing commanded.—ns. Commandant′, an officer who has the command of a place or of a body of troops, Commandant′ship.—v.t. Commandeer′, to compel to military service.—ns. Command′er, one who commands: an officer in the navy next in rank under a captain; Command′er-in-chief, the highest staff appointment in the British army: the officer in supreme command of an army, or of the entire forces of the state; Command′ership; Command′ery, the district under a commander, specially used in connection with the Templars, the Hospitallers, and other religious orders.—adj. Command′ing, fitted to impress or control.—adv. Command′ingly.—n. Command′ment, a command: a precept.—Commander of the Faithful, a title of the caliphs.—At Command, available for use; On command, under orders.—Ten Commandments, the ten Mosaic laws: (slang) the ten finger-nails, used by women in fighting. [Fr. commander—L. commendāre—com, and mandāre, to entrust.]
Commeasure, kom-mezh′ūr, v.t. to equal in measure: to coincide with.—n. Commeas′urable (same as Commen′surable).
Commemorate, kom-em′o-rāt, v.t. to call to remembrance by a solemn or public act: to celebrate: to preserve the memory of.—adj. Commem′orable.—n. Commemorā′tion, preserving the memory of some person or thing by a solemn ceremony: the specification of individual saints in the prayers for the dead: the great festival of the Oxford academic year, usually taking place on the third Wednesday after Trinity Sunday.—adjs. Commem′orative, Commem′oratory, tending or serving to commemorate.—n. Commem′orator. [L. commemoratus, pa.p. of commemorāre, to remember—com, inten., and memor, mindful.]
Commence, kom-ens′, v.i. to begin: to originate: to take rise.—v.t. to begin: to originate: to enter upon: to take a university degree—e.g. 'to commence M.A.'—n. Commence′ment, the beginning: at certain universities the act of taking the degrees: the ceremony when these are conferred. [O. Fr. comencer—L. com, and initiāre, to begin—in, into, and īre, to go.]
Commend, kom-end′, v.t. to give into the charge of: to recommend as worthy: to praise: to adorn, set off.—n. (Shak.) praise.—adj. Commend′able, worthy of being commended or praised.—n. Commend′ableness.—adv. Commend′ably.—ns. Commend′am, a manner of holding an ecclesiastical benefice till a proper pastor was provided for it—it was provisionally commended to the care of a clerk, and was said to be held in commendam; Commendā′tion, the act of commending: praise: declaration of esteem: esp. the act of commending the dying or dead to the favour and mercy of God; Com′mendātor, one who holds a benefice in commendam.—adj. Commend′atory, commending: containing praise or commendation: presenting to favourable notice or reception.—Commend me to, remember me kindly to: give me by preference. [L. commendāre—com, and mandāre, to trust.]
Commensal, ko-men′sal, adj. eating at the same table.—n. a messmate.—n. Commen′salism, the intimate but never parasitic association of two organisms, for the benefit of one, or very often of both. [L. com, together, mensa, a table.]
Commensurable, kom-en′sū-ra-bl, adj. having a common measure.—ns. Commensurabil′ity, Commen′surableness.—adv. Commen′surably.—adj. Commen′surāte, of the same measure with: equal in measure or extent: in proportion with.—adv. Commen′surātely.—ns. Commen′surāteness, Commensurā′tion. [L. com, with, and mensura, a measure—metīri, mensus, to measure.]
Comment, kom′ent, n. a note conveying an illustration or explanation: a remark, observation, criticism.—v.i. (or kom-ent′) to make critical or explanatory notes: to annotate: (Shak.) to meditate.—ns. Comm′entary, a comment: a remark: a book consisting of a regular series of comments or notes on another book; Commentā′tion, annotation; Comm′entātor, Comm′enter (or Comment′er), Comm′entor (or Comment′or).—adj. Commentatō′rial, pertaining to the making of commentaries. [Fr.,—L. commentāri—com, and L. mens, the mind.]
Commerce, kom′ėrs, n. interchange of merchandise on a large scale between nations or individuals: extended trade or traffic: intercourse: fellowship.—v.i. Commerce′, to trade: to have communication with.—adj. Commer′cial, pertaining to commerce: mercantile.—n. commercial traveller.—ns. Commer′cialism; Commer′cialist; Commer′ciality.—adv. Commer′cially.—Commercial room, a room in a hotel set apart for commercial travellers; Commercial traveller, a person who transacts business as the accredited travelling representative of a trading house to other trading houses. [Fr.,—L. commercium—com, with, merx, mercis, merchandise.]
Commerge, ko-mėrj′, v.i. to coincide, agree.