Also -ot. [In I. a. F. commissariat, repr. med.L. type *commissāriāt-us, f. commissāri-us COMMISSARY: see -ATE1 1. In II. formed on another sense of COMMISSARY; this use being app. peculiar to English.]
I. In Scotch Law.
1. A commissary court; the office or jurisdiction of a commissary; the district over which the jurisdiction of the commissary extends.
1609. Sc. Acts 20th Parl. Jas. VI., c. vi. (1611), 32. Ovr Soveraigne Lord … hes … restored and redintegrate the Archbishops and Bishops … to their former authoritie … and speciallie to the jurisdiction of Commissariates. Ibid., 33. Prejudiciall to the heritable right of the Commissariate within the bounds of Argyle, perteining to Archbald now Earle of Argyle.
1637–50. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), 30. Hamilton … had gotten a judicatorie of commissariot.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. II. vi. (1743), 394. Here [in Scotland] are likewise courts, called the commissariot, answerable to those of the English diocesan chancellors.
1862. Chambers’ Cycl. The inferior commissariats … had been abolished by a previous statute, each county being erected into a separate commissariat, of which the sheriff is commissary.
1883. Illustr. Lond. News, 24 Feb. The Scotch confirmation, under seal of the Commissariot of Haddington, of the will of the Earl of Wemyss and March.
II. In military use.
2. That department of the military service which is charged with the duty of providing food and other supplies for the army.
1779. T. Jefferson, Corr., Wks. 1859, I. 216. Wagonage, indeed, seems to the commissariat an article not worth economising.
1808. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., IV. 21. The horses of the Commissariat will be at Cork on Tuesday and Wednesday.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 427. The bad provisions furnished by the Commissariat.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. I. i. 6. It is commonly said, that a well-managed commissariat is a chief condition of victory.
3. transf. of any non-military department or organization for the supply of provisions.
1812. Southey, in Q. Rev., VIII. 341. There is no commissariat for supplying London.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. vi. 56. [It] has prevented our rifles from contributing any material aid to our commissariat.
1881. Daily Tel., 23 Feb. A street commissariat of great magnitude and importance may arise.
4. Supply of provisions, food-supply.
1861. Swinhoe, N. China Camp., 177. The greater part of the evening was spent in arranging for the morrow’s commissariat.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Courage, Wks. (Bohn), III. 112. The meal and water that are the commissariat of the forlorn hope … are sacred as the Holy Grail.
5. attrib. (esp. used as in commissariat beef, rum, boots, etc., i.e., those supplied by the army commissariat.)
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., IV. 287. The commissariat and transport services.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., III. viii. 710. The Commissariat Officers were subject to the … supervision of the Treasury.
1869. Rawlinson, Anc. Hist., 96. Excellent commissariat arrangements.
Hence Commissariat v. nonce-wd., to look after the commissariat of an army.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., IX. XXI. ii. 260. You were with the Allied Army, commissariating and the like.
