commons, n. pl.
(ˈkɒmənz)
Forms: see common a.; also 4–5 comaynes, -aynz, 5 commines.
[Plural of common n., in various senses.]
I. Common people; community.
1. a. The common people, the commonalty; the lower order, as distinguished from those of noble or knightly or gentle rank; also † applied to the common soldiers of an army.
In former times sometimes used depreciatively with reference to their rudeness; often with the epithet ‘poor’. As a rendering of L. plebs, ‘a commons’ occurs as a singular.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 45 Alle þe comons of þe lond with letter þam bond. 1382 Wyclif Josh. vi. 9 The left comouns [Vulg. reliquum vulgus] folowid the arke. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1651 Yemen on foote and communes many oon. c 1400 Mandeville xix. (1839) 210 Of pore men and of rude Comouns. 1513 Douglas æneis ix. vi. 83 A multitude of commonys of byrth law. 1546 Supplic. Poor Commons (E.E.T.S.) 79 These men cesse not to oppresse vs, your Highnes pore commons. 1591 F. Sparry tr. Cattan's Geomancie 92 The commons of the Towne is good, and there is much nobilitie therein. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. ii. 135 Let but the Commons heare this Testament..And they would go and kisse dead Cæsars wounds. 1697 M. Martin in Phil. Trans. XIX. 728 In many of the Isles, the Commons apply Spearwort for Pains of the Head. 1701 Swift Contests Nobles & Com. Athens, So the great African Scipio and his brother..were impeached by an ungrateful commons. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scot. I. v. 395 He was long and affectionately remembered among the commons by the name of the Good Regent. 1846 Arnold Hist. Rome I. ii. 28 The original Plebs, the commons of Rome. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. III. 558 From the condition of the commons of the shires we turn to a much more intricate subject, the condition of the commons of the boroughs. |
b. The burghers of a town; the body of free citizens, bearing common burdens, and exercising common rights.
| 1429 Wills & Inv. N.C. (1835) 78 If so bee yat y⊇ mair and y⊇ comyns will relesse me. 1458 MS. Christ's Hosp., Abingdon in Turner Dom. Archit. III. 43 Thus acordid the kynge and the covent And the comones of Abendon. 1467 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 386 That ther be then another [commoner] chosen, of the moste sadde and sufficiant of the comyns w{supt}yn the cite. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 142 The Commons of the Citie of London chose unto their Maior for that yere Thomas Fitz Thomas. 1711 Tyrrell Hist. Eng. II. 983 The Commons or Community also chose Twelve Persons to represent them. |
2. a. The third estate in the English (or other similar) constitution; the body of people, not ennobled, and represented by the Lower House of Parliament. (In earlier use excluding the clergy.)
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 113 Þanne come þere a kyng, knyȝthod hym ladde, Miȝt of þe comunes made hym to regne. 1399 ― Rich. Redeles iv. 60 Of kynge, ne conceyle ne of þe comunes noþer. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. iii. (1885) 114 The Ffrench kynge.. toke vpon hym to sett tayles and oþer imposicions vpon the commons withowt the assent of the iij estates. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, ii. i. 246 The Commons hath he pil'd with greeuous taxes And quite lost their hearts. 1660 Chas. II in Clarendon Hist. Reb. (1702) II. 375 Establish the Peace, Happiness and Honour of King, Lords and Commons. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. i. ii. 115 The commons consist of all such men of property in the kingdom as have no seat in the house of lords. 1817 Parl. Deb. 308 The commons included the whole people, not lords; and neither admitted of higher or lower orders, degraded or dignified ranks. |
b. Hence, the representatives of the third estate in Parliament; the Lower House.
| c 1415 Crowned King 35 in Piers Pl. Text C. p. 525 Me thought y herd a crowned kyng of his comunes axe A soleyn subsidie to susteyne his werres. c 1434 Paston Lett. I. 36 Plesit to the righte sage and wyse Communes of this present Parlement. 1548 Order of Communion, Forsomuch as in our High Court of Parliament lately holden at Westminster..with the consent of the lords spiritual and temporal and Commons there assembled. 1675 T. Turner Case Bankers & Cred. Exam. (ed. 2) 39 The Commons of that Age would not agree thereto [to a subsidy]..till they had conferd with the Counties and Boroughs. 1707 Vulpone 24 The Danger that may arise to our Constitution from the 45 Scotch Commons. 1833 H. Coleridge North. Worthies (1852) I. 38 The Lords endeavouring to insert a clause..which clause the Commons of course rejected. |
c. House of Commons; also Commons House (of Parliament).
| 1621 Jas. I Let. to Speaker 3 Dec., Some Fiery and Popular Spirits in the House of Commons. 1641 Nicholas Papers (1886) 36 Too morrow y⊇ Commons House intend..to adjourne also till Monday. 1643 Declar. conc. Ireland 32 It is this day ordered by the Commons House of Parliament. 1727 Swift Gulliver ii. vi. 148 An assembly called the house of commons..to represent the wisdom of the whole nation. 1820 Examiner No. 633. 348/2 Is there not a man now in the Commons House, who was found guilty of a public fraud? 1884 Gladstone in Standard 29 Feb. 2/6 Rather by the spontaneous action of the House of Commons. 1918 Act 8 Geo. V, c. 3 §1 (3) Incapable of..sitting or voting as a member of the Commons House of Parliament. |
† d. The representatives of the people of a municipality; common-councilmen. Obs.
| 1682 Enq. Elect. Sheriffs 43 It is enacted, ordained, and established by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and Commons in Common Council assembled. |
II. Provisions or expenses in common.
3. a. Provisions provided for a community or company in common; the common expense of such provisions; also the share to which each member of the company is entitled. Prob. originally in monastic use, afterwards esp. in colleges.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 38 Lest þe kyng and his Counseil ȝor Comunes apeire, And beo stiward in oure stude til ȝe be stouwet betere. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 412 We clerkes, whan þey come, for her comunes payeth, For her pelure and her palfreyes mete, & piloures þat hem folweth. 1393 Ibid. C. i. 143 Conscience & kynde wit and knyȝt-hod to-gederes Caste þat þe comune sholde hure comunes fynde. c 1400 Test. Love i. (1560) 278 b/2 Owen not yet some of hem money for his commons. 1527 Whitinton Vulgaria, Whan I was a scholer of Oxforthe I lyued competently with vij pens commyns wekely. 1570 Order for Swans in Hone Every-day Bk. II. 961 The Commons (that is to say) Dinner and Supper, shall not exceed above twelve pence. 1576 Act 18 Eliz. c. 6 in Oxf. & Camb. Enactm. 34 To be expended to the use of the relief of the commons and diett of the saide colledges. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 157 He had a Chamber, and took his commons in Hart hall. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 27 ¶9 Before he returns to his Commons at the University. 1725 Bailey Erasm. Colloq., I will entertain you with scholar's commons, if not with slenderer fare. a 1734 North Lives (1826) I. 19 He used constantly the commons in the hall at noons and nights. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis xviii, Then they went to hall where Pen sat down and ate his commons with his brother freshmen. 1869 Rogers Adam Smith's W.N. I. Ed. Pref. 7 During this time he drew his commons from the college buttery. |
b. Used as sing.; a common table, an ordinary: cf. Doctors' Commons. spec., at Oxford (c 1891), a definite portion of victuals supplied from the college buttery or kitchen, at a regular charge.
| a 1641 Bp. R. Montagu A. & M. (1642) 539 The Priests attending..had a Colledge, Society, a Commons, Lodging and Mansions during their service within the Temple. 1688 S. Penton Guardian's Instr. 80 He invited us the next day to a Commons. 1692 Dryden St. Evremont's Ess. 336 A Commons of Bread and Water. 1828 W. Sewell Oxf. Prize Ess. 97 Two commons were put into his hands. 1884 C. Power in Gentl. Mag. Feb. 114 Berkeley lunched by himself upon a solitary commons of cold beef. a 1891 Oxf. Undergrad. ‘Bring me a commons of bread and butter.’ |
† c. to enter or come into, be in, keep, etc., commons: to eat at a common table, live together (said esp. of the members of a college); fig. to enter into, or be in, association (with). So to put or turn out of commons. to quit commons (Sc. Obs.): to settle accounts (cf. common n. 15).
| 1510 Plumpton Corr. p. cxviii, The foresaid Sir Robert Plompton come into comens with Oliver Dickinson his servant the 25 July unto super againe. c 1565 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (1728) 119 Thinking that it was then time to quit commons. 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden Soc.) 42 Our Master chargid him to be packing and willid M. Tyndall to put him out of Commins. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres Pref. 5 Yong Gentlemen, which haue not entred commons in Mars his Campe. 1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet 182 If you knowe that Gods cheare is so infinitely better; why doe you enter commons at Satans Feast? 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 453 To heare of him under Sequestration, and his Family in Commons with the Ravens. 1691 Case of Exeter Coll. 32 Such absent Scholar shall be turn'd out of Commons for fifteen days. 1705 Lond. Gaz. No. 4132/3 Every Attorney and Clerk shall duly keep Commons in such Society of which they are admitted. 1707 Hearne Collect. 2 Dec. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) II. 77 Mr. Gwinnett is put out of commons. |
4. In wider sense: Rations, allowance of victuals; daily fare. short commons: insufficient rations, scant fare.
| 1540–1 Elyot Image Gou. (1556) 16 Gevyng to poore..Children..theyr Commons free. 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 32 Wee shall haue a harde pyttaunce, and come to shorte commons. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxviii. §5 The Grecian widows [had] shorter commons than the Hebrews. 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xxviii. (1840) 169 Though his commons perchance were shorter, yet he battled better on them. 1651 Walton in Reliq. Wotton. (1672) 70 He deserues at least to have his Commons shortned. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1698) I. x. 282 Captain Swan..gave way to a small enlargement of our commons..[to] 10 spoonfuls of boil'd Maiz a man. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull (1755) 45 Now and then she would seize upon John's commons, snatch a leg of a pullet, etc. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. ii. 37 Our sick have been on short commons for the last five days. |
† 5. A privy; = common house 4 b (a). Obs.
| 1624 Heywood Captives iii. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, Heare's a place Though neather of the secretest nor the best, To unlade myself of this Iniquity [a dead body]. Hee's where hee is in Comons. |