a. [ Compar. Commoner superl. Commonest. ] [ OE. commun, comon, OF. comun, F. commun, fr. L. communis; com- + munis ready to be of service; cf. Skr. mi to make fast, set up, build, Goth. gamains common, G. gemein, and E. mean low, common. Cf. Immunity, Commune, n. & v. ] 1. Belonging or relating equally, or similarly, to more than one; as, you and I have a common interest in the property. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though life and sense be common to men and brutes. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Belonging to or shared by, affecting or serving, all the members of a class, considered together; general; public; as, properties common to all plants; the common schools; the Book of Common Prayer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such actions as the common good requireth. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

The common enemy of man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Often met with; usual; frequent; customary. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grief more than common grief. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Not distinguished or exceptional; inconspicuous; ordinary; plebeian; -- often in a depreciatory sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

The honest, heart-felt enjoyment of common life. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

This fact was infamous
And ill beseeming any common man,
Much more a knight, a captain and a leader. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Above the vulgar flight of common souls. A. Murphy. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Profane; polluted. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. Acts x. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Given to habits of lewdness; prostitute. [ 1913 Webster ]

A dame who herself was common. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

Common bar (Law) Same as Blank bar, under Blank. --
Common barrator (Law), one who makes a business of instigating litigation. --
Common Bench, a name sometimes given to the English Court of Common Pleas. --
Common brawler (Law), one addicted to public brawling and quarreling. See Brawler. --
Common carrier (Law), one who undertakes the office of carrying (goods or persons) for hire. Such a carrier is bound to carry in all cases when he has accommodation, and when his fixed price is tendered, and he is liable for all losses and injuries to the goods, except those which happen in consequence of the act of God, or of the enemies of the country, or of the owner of the property himself. --
Common chord (Mus.), a chord consisting of the fundamental tone, with its third and fifth. --
Common council, the representative (legislative) body, or the lower branch of the representative body, of a city or other municipal corporation. --
Common crier, the crier of a town or city. --
Common divisor (Math.), a number or quantity that divides two or more numbers or quantities without a remainder; a common measure. --
Common gender (Gram.), the gender comprising words that may be of either the masculine or the feminine gender. --
Common law, a system of jurisprudence developing under the guidance of the courts so as to apply a consistent and reasonable rule to each litigated case. It may be superseded by statute, but unless superseded it controls. Wharton. It is by others defined as the unwritten law (especially of England), the law that receives its binding force from immemorial usage and universal reception, as ascertained and expressed in the judgments of the courts. This term is often used in contradistinction from statute law. Many use it to designate a law common to the whole country. It is also used to designate the whole body of English (or other) law, as distinguished from its subdivisions, local, civil, admiralty, equity, etc. See Law. --
Common lawyer, one versed in common law. --
Common lewdness (Law), the habitual performance of lewd acts in public. --
Common multiple (Arith.) See under Multiple. --
Common noun (Gram.), the name of any one of a class of objects, as distinguished from a proper noun (the name of a particular person or thing). --
Common nuisance (Law), that which is deleterious to the health or comfort or sense of decency of the community at large. --
Common pleas, one of the three superior courts of common law at Westminster, presided over by a chief justice and four puisne judges. Its jurisdiction is confined to civil matters. Courts bearing this title exist in several of the United States, having, however, in some cases, both civil and criminal jurisdiction extending over the whole State. In other States the jurisdiction of the common pleas is limited to a county, and it is sometimes called a county court. Its powers are generally defined by statute. --
Common prayer, the liturgy of the Church of England, or of the Protestant Episcopal church of the United States, which all its clergy are enjoined to use. It is contained in the Book of Common Prayer. --
Common school, a school maintained at the public expense, and open to all. --
Common scold (Law), a woman addicted to scolding indiscriminately, in public. --
Common seal, a seal adopted and used by a corporation. --
Common sense. (a) A supposed sense which was held to be the common bond of all the others. [ Obs. ] Trench. (b) Sound judgment. See under Sense. --
Common time (Mus.), that variety of time in which the measure consists of two or of four equal portions. --
In common, equally with another, or with others; owned, shared, or used, in community with others; affecting or affected equally. --
Out of the common, uncommon; extraordinary. --
Tenant in common, one holding real or personal property in common with others, having distinct but undivided interests. See Joint tenant, under Joint. --
To make common cause with, to join or ally one's self with.

Syn. -- General; public; popular; national; universal; frequent; ordinary; customary; usual; familiar; habitual; vulgar; mean; trite; stale; threadbare; commonplace. See Mutual, Ordinary, General. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The people; the community. [ Obs. ] “The weal o' the common.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inclosed or uninclosed tract of ground for pleasure, for pasturage, etc., the use of which belongs to the public; or to a number of persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) The right of taking a profit in the land of another, in common either with the owner or with other persons; -- so called from the community of interest which arises between the claimant of the right and the owner of the soil, or between the claimants and other commoners entitled to the same right. [ 1913 Webster ]

Common appendant, a right belonging to the owners or occupiers of arable land to put commonable beasts upon the waste land in the manor where they dwell. --
Common appurtenant, a similar right applying to lands in other manors, or extending to other beasts, besides those which are generally commonable, as hogs. --
Common because of vicinage or
Common because of neighborhood, the right of the inhabitants of each of two townships, lying contiguous to each other, which have usually intercommoned with one another, to let their beasts stray into the other's fields. - -
Common in gross or
Common at large, a common annexed to a man's person, being granted to him and his heirs by deed; or it may be claimed by prescriptive right, as by a parson of a church or other corporation sole. Blackstone. --
Common of estovers, the right of taking wood from another's estate. --
Common of pasture, the right of feeding beasts on the land of another. Burill. --
Common of piscary, the right of fishing in waters belonging to another. --
Common of turbary, the right of digging turf upon the ground of another. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To converse together; to discourse; to confer. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Embassadors were sent upon both parts, and divers means of entreaty were commoned of. Grafton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To participate. [ Obs. ] Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To have a joint right with others in common ground. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To board together; to eat at a table in common. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Held in common. “Forests . . . and other commonable places.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Allowed to pasture on public commons. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commonable beasts are either beasts of the plow, or such as manure the ground. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. communage. ] The right of pasturing on a common; the right of using anything in common with others. [ 1913 Webster ]

The claim of commonage . . . in most of the forests. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the sharing of common attributes.
Syn. -- commonness. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a characteristic held in common; a common feature. [ PJC ]

n.; pl. Commonalties [ OF. communalté; F. communauté, fr. communal. See Communal. ] 1. The common people; those classes and conditions of people who are below the rank of nobility; the commons. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commonalty, like the nobility, are divided into several degrees. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ancient fare of our kings differed from that of the commonalty in plenteousness only. Landon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The majority or bulk of mankind. [ Obs. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One of the common people; one having no rank of nobility. [ 1913 Webster ]

All below them [ the peers ] even their children, were commoners, and in the eye of the law equal to each other. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A member of the House of Commons. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who has a joint right in common ground. [ 1913 Webster ]

Much good land might be gained from forests . . . and from other commonable places, so as always there be a due care taken that the poor commoners have no injury. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One sharing with another in anything. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A student in the university of Oxford, Eng., who is not dependent on any foundation for support, but pays all university charges; - - at Cambridge called a pensioner. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A prostitute. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat common; commonplace; vulgar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. commonitio. See Monition. ] Advice; warning; instruction. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Monitory. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Only commemorative and commonitive. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. commonitorius. ] Calling to mind; giving admonition. [ Obs. ] Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. Usually; generally; ordinarily; frequently; for the most part; as, confirmed habits commonly continue through life. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In common; familiarly. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. State or quality of being common or usual; as, the commonness of sunlight. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Triteness; meanness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An idea or expression wanting originality or interest; a trite or customary remark; a platitude. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A memorandum; something to be frequently consulted or referred to. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whatever, in my reading, occurs concerning this our fellow creature, I do never fail to set it down by way of commonplace. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commonplace book, a book in which records are made of things to be remembered. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To enter in a commonplace book, or to reduce to general heads. Felton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To utter commonplaces; to indulge in platitudes. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Common; ordinary; trite; as, a commonplace person, or observation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being commonplace; commonness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a room, usually at a school or university, set aside for the common use of everyone. It usually has comfortable chairs for reading or conversation, and some provision for obtaining refreshments.
Syn. -- . [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. pl., 1. The mass of the people, as distinguished from the titled classes or nobility; the commonalty; the common people. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

'T is like the commons, rude unpolished hinds,
Could send such message to their sovereign. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The word commons in its present ordinary signification comprises all the people who are under the rank of peers. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The House of Commons, or lower house of the British Parliament, consisting of representatives elected by the qualified voters of counties, boroughs, and universities. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is agreed that the Commons were no part of the great council till some ages after the Conquest. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Provisions; food; fare, -- as that provided at a common table in colleges and universities. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their commons, though but coarse, were nothing scant. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A club or association for boarding at a common table, as in a college, the members sharing the expenses equally; as, to board in commons. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A common; public pasture ground. [ 1913 Webster ]

To shake his ears, and graze in commons. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Doctors' Commons, a place near St. Paul's Churchyard in London where the doctors of civil law used to common together, and where were the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts and offices having jurisdiction of marriage licenses, divorces, registration of wills, etc. --
To be on short commons, to have a small allowance of food. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

See Common sense, under Sense.

n. (Scots Law) A common; a piece of land in which two or more persons have a common right. Bell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Common + weal. ] Commonwealth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Common + wealth well-being. ] 1. A state; a body politic consisting of a certain number of men, united, by compact or tacit agreement, under one form of government and system of laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

The trappings of a monarchy would set up an ordinary commonwealth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This term is applied to governments which are considered as free or popular, but rarely, or improperly, to an absolute government. The word signifies, strictly, the common well-being or happiness; and hence, a form of government in which the general welfare is regarded rather than the welfare of any class. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whole body of people in a state; the public. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eng. Hist.) Specifically, the form of government established on the death of Charles I., in 1649, which existed under Oliver Cromwell and his son Richard, ending with the abdication of the latter in 1659.

Syn. -- State; realm; republic. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To deprive of the right of common. [ R. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To deprive of privileges. [ R. ] T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To deprive of commonable quality, as lands, by inclosing or appropriating. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A student at Cambridge University, England, who commons, or dines, at the Fellow's table. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Intercommoned p. pr. & vb. n. Intercommoning. ] [ OF. entrecommuner. See Inter-, and Common, and cf. Intercommune. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To share with others; to participate; especially, to eat at the same table. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (O. Eng. Law) To graze cattle promiscuously in the commons of each other, as the inhabitants of adjoining townships, manors, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (O. Eng. Law) The right or privilege of intercommoning. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not common; unusual; infrequent; rare; hence, remarkable; strange; as, an uncommon season; an uncommon degree of cold or heat; uncommon courage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Rare; scarce; infrequent; unwonted. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Un*com"mon*ly, adv. -- Un*com"mon*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]