The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Commons \Com"mons\, n. pl.,
1. The mass of the people, as distinguished from the titled
classes or nobility; the commonalty; the common people.
[Eng.]
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'T is like the commons, rude unpolished hinds,
Could send such message to their sovereign. --Shak.
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The word commons in its present ordinary
signification comprises all the people who are under
the rank of peers. --Blackstone.
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2. The House of Commons, or lower house of the British
Parliament, consisting of representatives elected by the
qualified voters of counties, boroughs, and universities.
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It is agreed that the Commons were no part of the
great council till some ages after the Conquest.
--Hume.
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3. Provisions; food; fare, -- as that provided at a common
table in colleges and universities.
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Their commons, though but coarse, were nothing
scant. --Dryden.
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4. 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.
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5. A common; public pasture ground.
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To shake his ears, and graze in commons. --Shak.
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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.]
[1913 Webster] Common sense
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
doctor \doc"tor\, n. [OF. doctur, L. doctor, teacher, fr. docere
to teach. See Docile.]
1. A teacher; one skilled in a profession, or branch of
knowledge; a learned man. [Obs.]
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One of the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Macciavel. --
Bacon.
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2. An academical title, originally meaning a man so well
versed in his department as to be qualified to teach it.
Hence: One who has taken the highest degree conferred by a
university or college, or has received a diploma of the
highest degree; as, a doctor of divinity, of law, of
medicine, of music, or of philosophy. Such diplomas may
confer an honorary title only.
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3. One duly licensed to practice medicine; a member of the
medical profession; a physician.
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By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death
Will seize the doctor too. -- Shak.
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4. Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty
or serve some purpose in an exigency; as, the doctor of a
calico-printing machine, which is a knife to remove
superfluous coloring matter; the doctor, or auxiliary
engine, called also donkey engine.
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5. (Zool.) The friar skate. [Prov. Eng.]
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Doctors' Commons. See under Commons.
Doctor's stuff, physic, medicine. --G. Eliot.
Doctor fish (Zool.), any fish of the genus Acanthurus;
the surgeon fish; -- so called from a sharp lancetlike
spine on each side of the tail. Also called barber fish.
See Surgeon fish.
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Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
DOCTORS COMMONS. A building in London used for a college of civilians. Here
the judge of the court of arches, the judge of the admiralty, and the judge
of the court of Canterbury, with other eminent civilians, reside. Commons
signifies, in old English, pittance or allowance; because it is meant in
common among societies, as Universities, Inns of Courts, Doctors Commons,
&c. The Latin word is, demensum a demetiendo; dividing every one his part
Minsheu. It is called Doctors Commons, because the persons residing there
live in a collegiate commoning together.