sb. pl. Forms: see COMMON a.; also 4–5 comaynes, -aynz, 5 commines. [Plural of COMMON sb., in various senses.]
I. Common people; community.
1. 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. Maundev., 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, trans. Cattan’s Geomancie, 92. The commons of the Towne is good, and there is much nobilitie therein.
1601. Shaks., 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 ye mair and ye 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 wtyn 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. 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. Ibid. (1399), Rich. Redeles, IV. 60. Of kynge, no 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. Shaks., 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; formerly also Commons House (of Parliament).
1621. Jas. I., Lett. to Speaker, 3 Dec. Some Fiery and Popular Spirits in the House of Commons.
1641. Nicholas Papers (1886), 36. Too morrow ye 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.
† 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. 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. Ibid. (1393), 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. Now, at Oxford, a definite portion of victuals supplied from the college buttery or kitchen, at a regular charge.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (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.
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 sb. 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. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 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. 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 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.
