Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-MET'IC, a.

Giving a gloss or beauty.

COM'MI-GRATE, v.i. [L. commigro; con and migro, to migrate.]

To migrate together; to move in a body from one country or place to another, for permanent residence. [Little used.]

COM-MI-GRA'TION, n.

The moving of a body of people from one country or place to another, with a view to permanent residence. – Woodward.

COM-MI-NA'TION, n. [L. comminatio; con and minatio, a threatening, from minor, to threaten. See Menace.]

1. A threat or threatening; a denunciation of punishment or vengeance.
2. The recital of God's threatening on stated days; an office in the Liturgy of the Church of England, appointed to be read on Ash Wednesday, or on the first day of Lent. – Encyc.

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

Threatening; denouncing punishment. – B. Jonson.

COM-MIN'GLE, v.i.

To mix or unite together, as different substances. – Bacon.

COM-MIN'GLE, v.t. [con and mingle.]

To mix together; to mingle in one mass, or intimately; to blend. [See Mingle.] – Shak.

COM-MIN'GLED, pp.

Mingled together.

COM-MIN'GLING, ppr.

Mingling together.

COM-MIN'U-ATE, v.t.

To grind. [Not used.] [See Comminute.]

COM-MIN'U-I-BLE, a.

Reducible to powder. – Brown.

COM'MI-NUTE, v.t. [L. comminno; con and minuo, to lessen, from the root of minor; Ir. mion, min, fine, small, tender; W. main, man; Ar. مَنَّ manna, to diminish. Class Mn, No. 5.]

To make small or fine; to reduce to minute particles, or to a fine powder, by breaking, pounding, rasping, or grinding; to pulverize; to triturate; to levigate. It is chiefly or wholly applied to substances not liquid. – Bacon.

COM'MI-NU-TED, pp.

Reduced to fine particles; pulverized; triturated.

COM-MI-NU-TING, ppr.

Reducing to fine particles; pulverizing; levitating.

COM-MI-NU'TION, n.

1. The act of reducing to a fine powder or to small particles; pulverization. – Ray. Bentley.
2. Attenuation; as, comminution of spirits. – Bacon.

COM-MIS'ER-A-BLE, a. [See Commiserate.]

Deserving of commiseration or pity; pitiable; that may excite sympathy or sorrow. This commiserable person, Edward. – Bacon. [Little used.]

COM-MIS'ER-ATE, v.t. [L. commiseror; con and misereor, to pity. See Miserable.]

1. To pity; to compassionate; to feel sorrow, pain or regret for another in distress; applied to persons. We should commiserate those who groan beneath the weight of age, disease or want. – Denham.
2. To regret; to pity; to be sorry for; as, to commiserate our mutual ignorance. – Locke.

COM-MIS'ER-A-TED, pp.

Pitied.

COM-MIS'ER-A-TING, ppr.

Pitying; compassionating; feeling sorrow for.

COM-MIS-ER-A'TION, n.

Pity; compassion; a sympathetic suffering of pain or sorrow for the wants, afflictions or distresses of another. I can not think of these poor deluded creatures, but with commiseration.

COM-MIS'ER-A-TIVE-LY, adv.

From compassion. – Overbury.

COM-MIS'ER-A-TOR, n.

One who pities. – Brown.

COM-MIS-SA'RI-AL, a. [See Commissary.]

Pertaining to a commissary. Smollett uses commissorial; but this is not regular nor authorized.

COM-MIS-SA'RIAT, n. [Sp. comisariato. See Commissary.]

The office or employment of a commissary; or the whole body of officers in the commissary's department. – Tooke, Russ. i. 575.

COM'MIS-SA-RY, n. [Fr. commissaire; It. and Port. commissario; Sp. comisario; Low L. commissarius; from commissus, committo; con and mitto, to send.]

1. In a general sense, a commissioner; one to whom is committed some charge, duty or office, by a superior power; one who is sent or delegated to execute some office or duty, in the place, or as the representative, of his superior.
2. In ecclesiastical law, an officer of the bishop, who exercises spiritual jurisdiction in places of the diocese, so far distant from the episcopal see, that the chancellor can not call the people to the bishop's principal consistory court, without putting them to inconvenience. – Ayliffe. Encyc.
3. In a military sense, an officer who has the charge of furnishing provisions, clothing, &c. for an army. Commissaries are distinguished by different names, according to their duties; as, commissary-general, who is at the head of the department of supplies, and has under him deputy commissaries, and issuing commissaries; the latter to issue or distribute the supplies.
4. An officer who musters the army, receives and inspects the muster-rolls, and keeps an account of the strength of the army. He is called, the commissary-general of musters. The commissary of horses has the inspection of the artillery horses; and the commissary of stores has charge of all the stores of the artillery. – Encyc.