Commodore, kom′o-dōr, n. in the royal navy, a rank intermediate between an admiral and a captain: the leading ship in a fleet of merchantmen: the president of a yacht-club, also his vessel at a regatta. [Perh. from Dut. kommandeur.]
Common, kom′un, adj. belonging equally to more than one: public: general: usual: frequent: ordinary: easy to be had: of little value: vulgar: of low degree.—n. (Shak.) the commonalty: a tract of open land, used in common by the inhabitants of a town, parish, &c.—v.i. (Shak.) to share.—adj. Common′able, held in common.—ns. Comm′onage, right of pasturing on a common: the right of using anything in common: a common; Comm′onalty, the general body of the people without any distinction of rank or authority; Comm′oner, one of the common people, as opposed to the nobles: a member of the House of Commons: at Oxford, a student who pays for his commons.—adv. Comm′only.—ns. Comm′onness; Comm′onplace, a common topic or subject: a platitude: a memorandum: a note.—adj. common: hackneyed.—v.i. to make notes: to put in a commonplace-book.—n. Comm′onplace-book, a note or memorandum book.—n.pl. Comm′ons, the common people: their representatives—i.e. the lower House of Parliament or House of Commons: common land: food at a common table: at Oxford, rations served at a fixed rate from the college buttery: food in general, rations.—n. Comm′on-sense, average understanding: good sense or practical sagacity: the opinion of a community: the universally admitted impressions of mankind.—Common Bench, Common Pleas, one of the divisions of the High Court of Justice; Common forms, the ordinary clauses which are of frequent occurrence in identical terms in writs and deeds; Common law, in England, the ancient customary law of the land; Common Prayer (Book of), the liturgy of the Church of England; Common-riding, the Scotch equivalent of Beating the Bounds (see Beat); Common room, in schools, colleges, &c., a room to which the members have common access.—In common, together: equally with others.—Make common cause with, to cast in one's lot with: to have the same interests and aims with.—Philosophy of common-sense, that school of philosophy which takes the universally admitted impressions of mankind as corresponding to the facts of things without any further scrutiny.—Short commons, scant fare, insufficient supply of rations.—The common, that which is common or usual; The common good, the interest of the community at large: the corporate property of a burgh in Scotland; The common people, the people in general. [Fr. commun—L. communis, prob. from com, together, and munis, serving, obliging.]
Commonweal, kom′un-wēl, Commonwealth, kom′un-welth, n. the common or public good: the government in a free state: the public or whole body of the people: a form of government in which the power rests with the people, esp. that in England after the overthrow of Charles I. [See Wealth.]
Commove, kom-mōōv′, v.t. to put in motion: to agitate: to disturb, excite.—n. Commō′tion, a violent motion or moving: excited or tumultuous action, physical or mental: agitation: tumult. [L. com, inten., and movēre, motum, to move.]
Commune, kom′ūn, n. a corporation: in France, a territorial division governed by a mayor.—The Commune at Paris in 1871 was a revolt against the national government, the principle of the revolt being that each city or district should be ruled independently by its own commune or local government.—adj. Commū′nal (also Comm′unal).—ns. Communalisā′tion; Commū′nalism; Commū′nalist. [Fr. commune. See Common.]
Commune, kom-ūn′, v.i. to converse or talk together: to have intercourse: to receive Holy Communion.—ns. Comm′une, converse: talk; Commun′ing, conversing: communion. [O. Fr. comuner, to share—comun, common.]
Communicate, kom-ū′ni-kāt, v.t. to give a share of, impart: to reveal: to bestow.—v.i. to have something in common with another: to have communication: to have intercourse: to partake of Holy Communion.—ns. Communicabil′ity, Commū′nicableness, the state of being communicable.—adj. Commū′nicable, that may be communicated: affable.—adv. Commū′nicably.—ns. Commū′nicant, one who partakes of Holy Communion; Communicā′tion, act of communicating: that which is communicated: intercourse: correspondence: a means of communicating, a connecting passage or channel.—adj. Commū′nicative, inclined to communicate or give information: unreserved.—adv. Commū′nicatively.—n. Commū′nicativeness, the quality of being communicative.—adj. Commū′nicatory, imparting knowledge. [L. communicāre, -ātum, from communis.]
Communion, kom-ūn′yun, n. act of communing: mutual intercourse: fellowship: common possession: interchange of transactions: union in religious service: the body of people who so unite.—n. Commun′ionist, a communicant.—The Communion, Holy Communion, the celebration of the Lord's Supper. [L. communion-em, from communis.]
Communism, kom′ū-nizm, n. a theory or condition of things according to which private property should be abolished, and all things held in common.—n. Comm′unist, one who holds such principles.—adj. Communist′ic, pertaining to communism.
Community, kom-ūn′i-ti, n. common possession or enjoyment: agreement: communion: (Shak.) commonness: people having common rights, &c.: the public in general: a body of persons in the same locality, e.g. 'village community:' a monastic body.—n. Communitā′rian, a member of a community. [O. Fr.,—L. communitas—communis.]