commons en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- kŏmʹənz (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈkɑmənz/ (General-American)
- /ˈkɒmənz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- kŏmʹənz (General-American)
Meanings
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(form-of, plural) plural of common
form of common
- (in construction, plural, singular, usually) A public area, especially a dining hall, at a college or university; a similar shared space elsewhere.
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(in construction, plural, singular, usually) A common (common land); especially, a central section of (usually an older) town, designated as a shared area.
The Renaissance festival started with the "peasants" meeting in the commons.
The commons is the green space surrounded by the village hall, the school, and the church.
The commons of New England towns are important contributors to their charm.
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(figuratively, plural, singular) The mutual good of all; the abstract concept of resources shared by more than one, for example air, water, information.
"The tragedy of the commons" is that none wish to make sacrifices of their or their family's interests for the common good.
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(plural, singular) The common people collectively, the third estate, the people not belonging to the nobility or clergy.
We in the name of other Perſean ſtates [i.e. nobles], And commons of this mightie Monarchy, Preſent thee with the Emperiall Diadem.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:
- (historical, plural, singular) The free burghers/bourgeoisie of a given town, taken collectively.
- (euphemistic, obsolete, plural, singular) An outhouse.
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(UK, obsolete, plural, qualifier:Oxford University, singular) Food served at a fixed rate from the college buttery, distinguished from battels.
At the same time, the fashion at Oxford of confining lunch to a "commons" of bread and butter and a glass of beer till the crew reaches Putney (when a little meat is allowed,) is unreasonable.
1875, Walter Bradford Woodgate, "Oars and Sculls," and How to Use Them (page 125)
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(plural, singular) Food in general; rations.
short commons
Without eggs, cocoa-nuts, or plantains, we had very short commons, and the boisterous weather being unpropitious for fishing, we had to live on what few eatable birds we could shoot, with an occasional cuscus, or eastern opossum, the only quadruped, except pigs, inhabiting the island.
1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 357:
Deriveds
Commons House · pinch-commons · House of Commons · tragedy of the commons · digital commons
Relateds
common land · commonplace · common good · make common cause · common ground · common
Synonyms
longhouse · privy house · petty · necessary vault · chamber foreign · house of ease · necessary place · commoners · draught · privy · issue · gong · draught-house · retreat · long drop · shield · kocay · passage house · shithouse · carsey · boggard · commons · neddy · bog · danna · dunnekin · withdraught · usual offices · necessary · gingerbread office · jacques · siegehouse · wardrobe · little house · House of Commons · thunderbox · johnny house · khazi · jakes · common house · craphouse · Cousin John · common house · gang · siege · karzy · petty-house · boghouse · gonghouse · backhouse · res communis · foreign · earth closet · house of office · netty · outhouse · dunny · backside · house of easement · necessary house · vault · purging place · House of Commons · jakeshouse · shouse
Translations (24)
ka ზიარი (the mutual good of all) · eo komunejo (the mutual good of all) · de Allmende (a central section of an older town) · da fælles bedste (the mutual good of all) · bg стъгда (a central section of an older town) · nl volksplaats (a central section of an older town) · bg общото благо (the mutual good of all) · es facería (a central section of an older town) · da fælled (a central section of an older town) · nl gemene (the mutual good of all) · es procomún (the mutual good of all) · es campillo (a central section of an older town) · it bene comune (the mutual good of all) · sh opće dobro (the mutual good of all) · es ejido (a central section of an older town) · ka ზიარი რესურსი (the mutual good of all) · bg мегдан (a central section of an older town) · sh javno dobro (the mutual good of all) · de Allmende (the mutual good of all) · pt rossio (a central section of an older town) · nl gemeengoed (the mutual good of all) · nl algemeen goed (the mutual good of all) · da almenvelle (the mutual good of all) · es procomunal (the mutual good of all)