Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-MUTE', v.i.

To atone; to compensate; to stand in the place of; as, one penalty commutes for another.

COM-MUTE', v.t. [L. commuto; con, and muto, to change. See Mutable and Mutation.]

1. To exchange; to put one thing in the place of another; to give or receive one thing for another; as, to commute our labors; to commute pain for pleasure.
2. In law, to exchange one penalty or punishment for another of less severity; as, to commute death for transportation.

COM-MUT'ED, pp.

Exchanged.

COM-MUT'ING, ppr.

Exchanging.

COM-MU'TU-AL, a. [con and mutual.]

Mutual; reciprocal; used in poetry. There, with commutual zeal, we both had strove / In acts of dear benevolence and love. – Pope.

CO'MOSE, a. [L. comosus, hairy.]

In botany, covered with cottony hair or down.

COM-PACT', a. [L. compactus, compingo; con and pango, pactus, to thrust, drive, fix, make fast or close; antiq. pago, paco; Gr. πηγνυω. See Pack. Literally, driven, thrust or pressed together. Hence,]

1. Closely and firmly united, as the particles of solid bodies; firm; close; solid; dense. Stone, iron and wood are compact bodies. A compact leaf, in botany, is one having the pulp of a close firm texture.
2. Composing; consisting. A wandering fire, / Compact of unctuous vapor. – Milton. Shak. This sense is not common. [See the verb.] Compact seems to be used for compacted. So in the following example.
3. Joined; held together. [Little used.] A pipe of seven reeds, compact with wax together. – Peacham.
4. Brief; close; pithy; not diffuse; not verbose; as, a compact discourse.

COM'PACT, n. [L. compactum.]

An agreement; a contract between parties; a word that may be applied, in a general sense, to any covenant or contract between individuals; but it is more generally applied to agreements between nations and states, as treaties and confederacies. So the constitution of the United States is a political contract between the States; a national compact. Or the word is applied to the agreement of the individuals of a community. The law of nations depends on mutual compacts, treaties, leagues, &c. – Blackstone. In the beginnings of speech there was an implicit compact, founded on common consent. – South.

COM-PACT', v.t.

1. To thrust, drive or press closely together; to join firmly; to consolidate; to make close; as the parts which compose a body. Now the bright sun compacts the precious stone. – Blackmore. This verb is not much used. The participle is more frequent; as, the earth's compacted sphere. – Roscommon. The solids are more strict and compacted. – Arbuthnot.
2. To unite or connect firmly, as in a system. The whole body fitly joined together and compacted. – Eph. iv.
3. To league with. Thou pernicious woman, / Compact with her that's gone. – Shak.
4. To compose or make out of. If he, compact of jars, grow musical. – Shak. In the two last examples, compact is used for compacted.

COM-PACT'ED, pp.

Pressed close; firmly united, or connected.

COM-PACT'ED-LY, adv.

In a compact manner.

COM-PACT'ED-NESS, n.

A state of being compact; firmness; closeness of parts; density, whence results hardness. – Digby.

COM-PACT'ER, n.

One who makes a compact.

COM-PACT'ING, ppr.

Uniting closely; consolidating.

COM-PAC'TION, n.

The act of making compact; or the state of being compact. – Bacon.

COM-PACT'LY, adv.

Closely; densely; with close union of parts.

COM-PACT'NESS, n.

Firmness; close union of parts; density. – Boyle.

COM-PACT'URE, n.

Close union or connection of parts; structure well connected; manner of joining. – Spenser.

COM-PA'GES, n. [L.]

A system of structure of many parts united. – Ray.

COM-PAG-I-NA'TION, n. [L. compago. See Compact.]

Union of parts; structure; connection; contexture. [Little used.] – Brown.

COM'PA-NA-BLE, a.

Companionable. [Obs.] – Chaucer.

COM'PA-NA-BLE-NESS, n.

Sociableness. [Obs.] – Sidney.

COM-PAN'I-A-BLE, a.

Social. [Obs.] – Bacon.

COM-PAN'I-A-BLE-NESS, n.

Sociableness. [Obs.] – Bp. Hall.

COM'PA-NI-ED, pp.

Associated with; attended.