Part 2153

<hw>Com"mis*sa*ry</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Commissaries</plw> <tt>(#)</tt>.</plu> <ety>[LL. <ets>commissarius</ets>, fr. L. <ets>commissus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>committere</ets> to commit, intrust to. See <er>Commit</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>One to whom is committed some charge, duty, or office, by a superior power; a commissioner.</def>

<blockquote>Great Destiny, the <b>Commissary</b> of God. <i>Donne.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Eccl.)</fld> <def>An officer on the bishop, who exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction in parts of the diocese at a distance from the residence of the bishop.</def>

<i>Ayliffe.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Mil.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>An officer having charge of a special sevice; <as>as, the <ex>commissary</ex> of musters</as>.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>An officer whose business is to provide food for a body of troops or a military post; -- officially called <i>commissary of subsistence</i>.</def> <mark>[U. S.]</mark>

<blockquote>Washington wrote to the President of Congress . . . urging the appointment of a commissary general, a quartermaster general, a <b>commissary</b> of musters, and a <b>commissary</b> of artillery. <i>W. Irving</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>Commissary general</col>, <cd>an officer in charge of some special department of army service</cd>; as: <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>The officer in charge of the commissariat and transport department, or of the ordinace store department.</cd> <mark>[Eng.]</mark> <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>The commissary general of subsistence.</cd> <mark>[U. S.]</mark> -- <col>Commissary general of subsistence</col> <fld>(Mil. U. S.)</fld>, <cd>the head of the subsistence department, who has charge of the purchase and issue of provisions for the army.</cd></cs>

<h1>Commissaryship</h1> <Xpage=284>

<hw>Com"mis*sa*ry*ship</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The office or employment of a commissary.</def>

<i>Ayliffe.</i>

<h1>Commission</h1> <Xpage=284>

<hw>Com*mis"sion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F., fr. L. <ets>commissio</ets>. See <er>Commit</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of perpetrating.</def>

<blockquote>Every <b>commission</b> of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness. <i>South.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a trust shall be executed.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons; a trust; a charge.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the performance of certain duties.</def>

<blockquote>Let him see our <b>commission</b>. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>A certificate conferring military or naval rank and authority; <as>as, a colonel's <ex>commission</ex></as>.</def>

<p><b>6.</b> <def>A company of persons joined in the performance of some duty or the execution of some trust; <as>as, the interstate commerce <ex>commission</ex></as>.</def>

<blockquote>A <b>commission</b> was at once appointed to examine into the matter. <i>Prescott.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>7.</b> <fld>(Com.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>The acting under authority of, or on account of, another.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>The thing to be done as agent for another; <as>as, I have three <ex>commissions</ex> for the city</as>.</def> <sd>(c)</sd> <def>The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent for transacting business for another; <as>as, a <ex>commission</ex> of ten per cent on sales</as>. See <er>Del credere</er>.</def>

<cs><col>Commission of array</col>. <fld>(Eng. Hist.)</fld> <cd>See under <er>Array</er>.</cd> -- <col>Commission of bankrupty</col>, <cd>a commission apointing and empowering certain persons to examine into the facts relative to an alleged bankrupty, and to secure the bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors.</cd> -- <col>Commission of lunacy</col>, <cd>a commission authoring and inquiry whether a person is a lunatic or not.</cd> -- <col>Commission merchant</col>, <cd>one who buys or sells goods on commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per cent as his compensation.</cd> -- <mcol><col>Commission</col>, &or; <col>Commissioned</col>, <col>officer</col></mcol> <fld>(Mil.)</fld>, <cd>one who has a commission, in distingtion from a noncommossioned or warrant officer.</cd> -- <col>Commission of the peace</col>, <cd>a commission under the great seal, constituting one or more persons justices of the peace.</cd> <mark>[Eng.]</mark> -- <col>To put a vessel into commission</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to equip and man a goverment vessel, and send it out on service after it has been laid up; esp., the formal act of tacking command of a vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders, etc.</cd> -- <col>To put a vessel out of commission</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to detach the officers and crew and retire it from active service, temporarily or permanently.</cd> -- <mcol><col>To put the great seal</col>, &or; <col>the Treasury, into commission</col></mcol>, <cd>to place it in the hands of a commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the ordinary administration, as between the going out of one lord keeper and accession of another.</cd> <mark>[Eng.]</mark> -- <col>The United States Christians Commission</col>, <cd>an organization among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and performed services of a religious character in the field and in hospitals.</cd> -- <col>The United States Sanitary Commission</col>, <cd>an organization formed by the people of the North to co\'94perate with and supplement the medical department of the Union armies during the Civil War.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. -- Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust; employment.</syn>

<h1>Commission</h1> <Xpage=284>

<hw>Com*mis"sion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Commissioned</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr & vb. n.</tt> <er>Commissioning</er>.]</wordforms> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To give a commission to; to furnish with a commission; to empower or authorize; <as>as, to <ex>commission</ex> persons to perform certain acts; to <ex>commission</ex> an officer.</as></def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To send out with a charge or commission.</def>

<blockquote>A chosen band He first <b>commissions</b> to the Latian land. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- To appoint; depute; authorize; empower; delegate; constitute; ordain.</syn>