From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Commerce \Com"merce\, n.
Note: (Formerly accented on the second syllable.) [F.
commerce, L. commercium; com- + merx, mercis,
merchandise. See {Merchant}.]
1. The exchange or buying and selling of commodities; esp.
the exchange of merchandise, on a large scale, between
different places or communities; extended trade or
traffic.
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The public becomes powerful in proportion to the
opulence and extensive commerce of private men.
--Hume.
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2. Social intercourse; the dealings of one person or class in
society with another; familiarity.
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Fifteen years of thought, observation, and commerce
with the world had made him [Bunyan] wiser.
--Macaulay.
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3. Sexual intercourse. --W. Montagu.
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4. A round game at cards, in which the cards are subject to
exchange, barter, or trade. --Hoyle.
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{Chamber of commerce}. See {Chamber}.
Syn: Trade; traffic; dealings; intercourse; interchange;
communion; communication.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Chamber \Cham"ber\, n. [F. chambre, fr. L. camera vault, arched
roof, in LL. chamber, fr. Gr. ? anything with a vaulted roof
or arched covering; cf. Skr. kmar to be crooked. Cf.
{Camber}, {Camera}, {Comrade}.]
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1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a
bedroom; as, the house had four chambers.
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2. pl. Apartments in a lodging house. "A bachelor's life in
chambers." --Thackeray.
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3. A hall, as where a king gives audience, or a deliberative
body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate
chamber.
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4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or
association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of
Commerce.
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5. A compartment or cell; an inclosed space or cavity; as,
the chamber of a canal lock; the chamber of a furnace; the
chamber of the eye.
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6. pl. (Law.) A room or rooms where a lawyer transacts
business; a room or rooms where a judge transacts such
official business as may be done out of court.
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7. A chamber pot. [Colloq.]
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8. (Mil.)
(a) That part of the bore of a piece of ordnance which
holds the charge, esp. when of different diameter from
the rest of the bore; -- formerly, in guns, made
smaller than the bore, but now larger, esp. in
breech-loading guns.
(b) A cavity in a mine, usually of a cubical form, to
contain the powder.
(c) A short piece of ordnance or cannon, which stood on
its breech, without any carriage, formerly used
chiefly for rejoicings and theatrical cannonades.
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{Air chamber}. See {Air chamber}, in the Vocabulary.
{Chamber of commerce}, a board or association to protect the
interests of commerce, chosen from among the merchants and
traders of a city.
{Chamber council}, a secret council. --Shak.
{Chamber counsel} or {Chamber counselor}, a counselor who
gives his opinion in private, or at his chambers, but does
not advocate causes in court.
{Chamber fellow}, a chamber companion; a roommate; a chum.
{Chamber hangings}, tapestry or hangings for a chamber.
{Chamber lye}, urine. --Shak.
{Chamber music}, vocal or instrumental music adapted to
performance in a chamber or small apartment or audience
room, instead of a theater, concert hall, or church.
{Chamber practice} (Law.), the practice of counselors at law,
who give their opinions in private, but do not appear in
court.
{To sit at chambers}, to do business in chambers, as a judge.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
chamber of commerce
n 1: an association of businessmen to protect and promote
business interests
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