Obs. Also 4 commessacioun, 5 comessacoun, 6 commessacyon, 6–7 commessation. [a. OF. comessacion (13th c.), ad. L. comessātiōn-em, a Bacchanalian revel and procession, a carouse, f. cōmessārī, better cōmissā-rī, held to be ad. Gr. κωμάζ-ειν to hold a revel, f. κῶμος revel. In L. the word was early associated with comedĕre (comēsum, -essum) to eat up, and hence it was often coupled with ebrietas, drunkenness.]
1. Feasting, banqueting, ‘riotous eating’ (Blount).
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 224. Sich ofte etingis of men ben clepid commessaciouns.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., xxvi. 93. Kalendis of Janiuer, in wilk sum seyingis, & comessacouns, & ȝeftis, are ȝeuyn.
1544. Suppl. Hen. VIII., in Four Supplic., 53. What commessacyon, dronckenes, etc.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Gal. v. 21. Fornication … envies, murders, ebrieties, commessations [Wyclif, unmesurable etyngis; Tindale, glottony; 1611 revellings].
1642. T. Taylor, God’s Judgem., 103. In all his day-riots or nights commessations.
2. Eating together.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 24. Ther could be no true frendship without commessation of a bushell of salt.
1686. trans. Bouhours’ St. Ignatius, II. 117. The Agapes, or Commessations of the Primitive Christians.
