Part 389

Com*mut"a*ble*ness, n. The quality of being commutable; interchangeableness.

Com`mu*ta"tion (?), n. [L. commutatio: cf. F. commutation.] 1. A passing from one state to another; change; alteration; mutation. [R.]

So great is the commutation that the soul then hated only that which now only it loves. South.

2. The act of giving one thing for another; barter; exchange. [Obs.]

The use of money is . . . that of saving the commutation of more bulky commodities. Arbuthnot.

3. (Law) The change of a penalty or punishment by the pardoning power of the State; as, the commutation of a sentence of death to banishment or imprisonment.

Suits are allowable in the spiritual courts for money agreed to be given as a commutation for penance. Blackstone.

4. A substitution, as of a less thing for a greater, esp. a substitution of one form of payment for another, or one payment for many, or a specific sum of money for conditional payments or allowances; as, commutation of tithes; commutation of fares; commutation of copyright; commutation of rations.

Angle of commutation (Astron.), the difference of the geocentric longitudes of the sun and a planet. -- Commutation of tithes, the substitution of a regular payment, chargeable to the land, for the annual tithes in kind. -- Commutation ticket, a ticket, as for transportation, which is the evidence of a contract for service at a reduced rate. See 2d Commute, 2.

Com*mut"a*tive (?), a. [CF. F. commutatif.] Relative to exchange; interchangeable; reciprocal. -- Com*mut"a*tive"ly, adv.

Rich traders, from their success, are presumed . . . to have cultivated an habitual regard to commutative justice. Burke.

Com"mu*ta`tor (?), n. (Elec.) A piece of apparatus used for reversing the direction of an electrical current; an attachment to certain electrical machines, by means of which alternating currents are made to be continuous or to have the same direction.

Com*mute" (k&obreve;m*mūt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Commuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Commuting.] [L. commutare, -mutatum; com- + mutare to change. See Mutation.] To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares.

The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to those two elements, it was certainly more natural to call beings participating of the first "watery", and the last "fiery", than to commute the terms, and call them by the reverse. J. Harris

The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading. Macaulay.

Com*mute", v. i. 1. To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation.

He . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind. Jer. Taylor.

2. To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route.

Com*mut"er (k&obreve;m*mū"t&etilde;r), n. One who commutes; especially, one who commutes in traveling.

Com*mu"tu*al (?; 135), a. [Pref. com- + mutual.] Mutual; reciprocal; united. [R.]

There, with commutual zeal, we both had strove. Pope.

Co"mose (kō"mōs or k&osl;*mōs"), a. [L. comosus hairy, from coma hair.] (Bot.) Bearing a tuft of soft hairs or down, as the seeds of milkweed. Gray.

Com*pact" (k&obreve;m*păkt"), p. p. & a [L. compactus, p. p. of compingere to join or unite; com- + pangere to fasten, fix: cf. F. compacte. See Pact.] 1. Joined or held together; leagued; confederated. [Obs.] "Compact with her that's gone." Shak.

A pipe of seven reeds, compact with wax together. Peacham.

2. Composed or made; -- with of. [Poetic]

A wandering fire, Compact of unctuous vapor. Milton.

3. Closely or firmly united, as the particles of solid bodies; firm; close; solid; dense.

Glass, crystal, gems, and other compact bodies. Sir I. Newton.