Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-MEM-O-RA'TION, n.

The act of calling to remembrance, by some solemnity; the act of honoring the memory of some person or event, by solemn celebration. The feast of shells at Plymouth, in Massachusetts, is an annual commemoration of the first landing of our ancestors in 1620.

COM-MEM'O-RA-TIVE, a.

Tending to preserve the remembrance of something. – Atterbury.

COM-MEM'O-RA-TO-RY, a.

Serving to preserve the memory of.

COM-MENCE', v.i. [commens'; Fr. commencer; Port. começar; Sp. comenzar; It. cominciare; Arm. coumançz, Perhaps com and initio.]

1. To begin; to take rise or origin; to have first existence; as, a state of glory to commence after this life; this empire commenced at a late period.
2. To begin to be, as in a change of character. Let not learning too commence its foe. – Pope.
3. To take a degree, or the first degree in a university or college. – Bailey.

COM-MENCE', v.t.

1. To begin; to enter upon; to perform the first act; as, to commence operations.
2. To begin; to originate; to bring; as, to commence a suit, action, or process in law.

COM-MENC'ED, pp.

Begun; originated.

COM-MENCE'MENT, n. [commens'ment.]

1. Beginning; rise; origin; first existence; as, the commencement of New Style, in 1752; the commencement of hostilities in 1775.
2. The time when students in colleges commence bachelors; a day in which degrees are publicly conferred on students who have finished a collegiate education. In Cambridge, England, the day when masters of art and doctors complete their degrees. – Worthington.

COM-MENC'ING, ppr.

Beginning; entering on; originating.

COM-MEND', n.

Commendation. [Not used.] – Shak.

COM-MEND', v.t. [L. commendo; con. and mando; It. commendare; Port. encommendar; Fr. recommander; Sp. comandar, to command, and formerly to commend. This is the same word as command, differently applied. The primary sense is, to send to or throw; hence, to charge, bid, desire, or entreat.]

1. To represent as worthy of notice, regard, or kindness; to speak in favor of; to recommend. I commend to you Phebe our sister. – Rom. xvi.
2. To commit; to intrust or give in charge. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. – Luke xxiii.
3. To praise; to mention with approbation. The princes commended Sarai before Pharaoh. The Lord commended the unjust steward. – Bible.
4. To make acceptable or more acceptable. But meat commendeth us not to God. 1 Cor. viii.
5. To produce or present to favorable notice. The chorus had an occasion of commending their voices to the king. – Dryden.
6. To send or bear to. These draw the chariot which Latinus sends, / And the rich present to the prince commends. – Dryden.

COM-MEND'A-BLE, a. [Fr. recommandable; It. commendable. Formerly accented improperly on the first syllable.]

That may be commended or praised; worthy of approbation or praise; laudable. Order and decent ceremonies in the church are commendable. – Bacon.

COM-MEND'A-BLE-NESS, n.

State of being commendable.

COM-MEND'A-BLY, adv.

Laudably; in a praise-worthy manner.

COM-MEND'AM, n.

In ecclesiastical law, in England, a benefice or living commended, by the king or head of the church, to the care of a clerk, to hold till a proper pastor is provided. This may be temporary or perpetual. – Blackstone. The trust or administration of the revenues of a benefice given to a layman, to hold as a deposit for six months, in order to repairs, &c., or to an ecclesiastic, to perform the pastoral duties, till the benefice is provided with a regular incumbent. – Encyc.

COM-MEND'A-TA-RY, n. [Fr. commendataire; It. commendatario, commendatore.]

One who holds a living in commendam.

COM-MEND-A'TION, n. [L. commendatio.]

1. The act of commending; praise; favorable representation in words; declaration of esteem. Need we, as some others, letters of commendation? 2 Cor. xxxi.
2. Ground of esteem, approbation or praise; that which presents a person or thing to another in a favorable light, and renders worthy of regard, or acceptance. Good nature is the most godlike commendation of a man. – Dryden.
3. Service; respects; message of love. – Shak.

COM'MEND-A-TOR, n.

One who holds a benefice in commendam. – Chalmers.

COM-MEND'A-TO-RY, a.

1. Which serves to commend; presenting to favorable notice or reception; containing praise; as, a commendatory letter. – Bacon. Pope.
2. Holding a benefice in commendam; as, a commendatory bishop.

COM-MEND'A-TO-RY, n.

A commendation; eulogy. – South.

COM-MEND'ED, pp.

Praised; represented favorably; committed in charge.

COM-MEND'ER, n.

One who commends or praises.

COM-MEND'ING, ppr.

Praising; representing favorably; committing, or delivering in charge. Note. In imitation of the French, we are accustomed to use recommendation, &c., for commendation. But in most instances, it is better to use the word without the prefix re. A letter of commendation, is the preferable phrase.

COM-MENS'AL, n. [L. con and mensa, table.]

One that eats at the same table. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

COM-MENS-AL'I-TY, n. [Sp. commensalia; L. commensalis; con and mensa, a table.]

Fellowship at table; the act or practice of eating at the same table. [Little used.] – Brown. Gillies.

COM-MEN-SU-RA-BIL'I-TY, or COM-MEN'SU-RA-BLE-NESS, n. [Fr. commensurabilité.]

The capacity of being compared with another in measure, or of being measured by another, or of having a common measure. – Brown. Hale.