commons

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Com=mons

CIDE DICTIONARY

commons, n. pl. 

•  The mass of the people, as distinguished from the titled classes or nobility; the commonalty; the common people.  [1913 Webster]

  "'T is like the commons, rude unpolished hinds,
  Could send such message to their sovereign."  [1913 Webster]

  "The word commons in its present ordinary signification comprises all the people who are under the rank of peers."  [1913 Webster]
•  The House of Commons, or lower house of the British Parliament, consisting of representatives elected by the qualified voters of counties, boroughs, and universities.  [1913 Webster]

  "It is agreed that the Commons were no part of the great council till some ages after the Conquest."  [1913 Webster]
•  Provisions; food; fare, -- as that provided at a common table in colleges and universities.  [1913 Webster]

  "Their commons, though but coarse, were nothing scant."  [1913 Webster]
•  A club or association for boarding at a common table, as in a college, the members sharing the expenses equally; as, to board in commons.  [1913 Webster]
•  A common; public pasture ground.  [1913 Webster]

  "To shake his ears, and graze in commons."  [1913 Webster]

Doctors' Commons, a place near St. Paul's Churchyard in London where the doctors of civil law used to common together, and where were the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts and offices having jurisdiction of marriage licenses, divorces, registration of wills, etc. -- To be on short commons, to have a small allowance of food. [Colloq.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

commons, n.pl.
1 (the Commons) = House of Commons.
2 a the common people. b (prec. by the) the common people regarded as a part of a political, esp. British, system.
3 provisions shared in common; daily fare.

Idiom

short commons insufficient food.

Etymology

ME pl. of COMMON

THESAURUS

commons

C ration, K ration, allotment, allowance, board, bourgeoisie, cafeteria, common, common people, common run, common sort, commonage, commonality, commonalty, commoners, dinette, dining car, dining hall, dining room, dining saloon, emergency rations, field rations, laborers, linendrapers, lower classes, lower middle class, lower orders, lumpen proletariat, meals, mess, mess hall, messroom, middle class, middle orders, ordinary people, paradise, park, peasantry, plain folks, plain people, pleasance, pleasure garden, pleasure ground, proletariat, public park, rank and file, rations, refectory, restaurant, salle a manger, shopkeepers, short commons, small tradesmen, the lower cut, the other half, the third estate, toilers, toiling class, tucker, upper middle class, vulgus, working class, working people

ROGET THESAURUS

commons

Mart

N mart, market, marketplace, fair, bazaar, staple, exchange, change, bourse, hall, guildhall, tollbooth, customhouse, Tattersall's, stall, booth, stand, newsstand, cart, wagon, wharf, office, chambers, countinghouse, bureau, counter, compter, shop, emporium, establishment, store, department store, general store, five and ten, variety store, co-op, finding store, grindery warehouse, grocery, supermarket, candy store, sweet shop, confectionery, bakery, greengrocer, delicatessen, bakeshop, butcher shop, fish store, farmers' market, mom and pop store, dairy, health food store, tobacco shop, tobacco store, tobacconists, cigar store, hardware store, jewelry shop, bookstore, liquor store, gun shop, rod and reel shop, furniture store, drugstore, chemist's, florist, flower shop, shoe store, stationer, stationer's, electronics shop, telephone store, music store, record shop, fur store, sporting goods store, video store, video rental store, lumber store, lumber yard, home improvements store, home improvement center, gas station, auto repair shop, auto dealer, used car dealer, mall, suburban mall, commons, pedestrian mall, shopping street, surplus store, army-navy surplus store, auction, flea market, yard sale, garage sale, pawn shop, antiques store, second-hand store, second time around shop, thrift shop, warehouse, wareroom, depot, interposit, entrepot, market-overt, real-estate broker, vending machine.

Food

N food, eating, deglutition, gulp, epulation, mastication, manducation, rumination, gluttony, hippophagy, ichthyophagy, (appetite), mouth, jaws, mandible, mazard, gob, chops, drinking, potation, draught, libation, carousal, drunkenness, food, pabulum, aliment, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, sustentation, sustention, nurture, subsistence, provender, corn, feed, fodder, provision, ration, keep, commons, board, commissariat, prey, forage, pasture, pasturage, fare, cheer, diet, dietary, regimen, belly timber, staff of life, bread, bread and cheese, comestibles, eatables, victuals, edibles, ingesta, grub, grubstake, prog, meat, bread, bread stuffs, cerealia, cereals, viands, cates, delicacy, dainty, creature comforts, contents of the larder, fleshpots, festal board, ambrosia, good cheer, good living, beef, bisquit, bun, cornstarch, cookie, cooky, cracker, doughnut, fatling, hardtack, hoecake, hominy, mutton, pilot bread, pork, roti, rusk, ship biscuit, veal, joint, piece de resistance, roast and boiled, remove, entremet, releve, hash, rechauffe, stew, ragout, fricassee, mince, pottage, potage, broth, soup, consomme, puree, spoonmeat, pie, pasty, volauvent, pudding, omelet, pastry, sweets, kickshaws, condiment, appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, main course, entree, alligator pear, apple, apple slump, artichoke, ashcake, griddlecake, pancake, flapjack, atole, avocado, banana, beche de mer, barbecue, beefsteak, beet root, blackberry, blancmange, bloater, bouilli, bouillon, breadfruit, chop suey, chowder, chupatty, clam, compote, damper, fish, frumenty, grapes, hasty pudding, ice cream, lettuce, mango, mangosteen, mince pie, oatmeal, oyster, pineapple, porridge, porterhouse steak, salmis, sauerkraut, sea slug, sturgeon ("Albany beef"), succotash, supawn, trepang, vanilla, waffle, walnut, table, cuisine, bill of fare, menu, table d'hote, ordinary, entree, meal, repast, feed, spread, mess, dish, plate, course, regale, regalement, refreshment, entertainment, refection, collation, picnic, feast, banquet, junket, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, dejeuner, bever, tiffin, dinner, supper, snack, junk food, fast food, whet, bait, dessert, potluck, table d'hote, dejeuner a la fourchette, hearty meal, square meal, substantial meal, full meal, blowout, light refreshment, bara, chotahazri, bara khana, mouthful, bolus, gobbet, morsel, sop, sippet, drink, beverage, liquor, broth, soup, potion, dram, draught, drench, swill, nip, sip, sup, gulp, wine, spirits, liqueur, beer, ale, malt liquor, Sir John Barleycorn, stingo, heavy wet, grog, toddy, flip, purl, punch, negus, cup, bishop, wassail, gin, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, tea, the cup that cheers but not inebriates, bock beer, lager beer, Pilsener beer, schenck beer, Brazil tea, cider, claret, ice water, mate, mint julep, near beer, 2 beer, non- alcoholic beverage, eating house, diner, hippophage, glutton, eatable, edible, esculent, comestible, alimentary, cereal, cibarious, dietetic, culinary, nutritive, nutritious, gastric, succulent, potable, potulent, bibulous, omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous, ichthyivorous, omophagic, omophagous, pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous, across the walnuts and the wine, blessed hour of our dinners!, now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!, who can cloy the hungry edge of appetite?.