The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Commission \Com*mis"sion\, n. [F., fr. L. commissio. See
Commit.]
1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of
perpetrating.
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Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a
certain degree of hardness. --South.
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2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a
trust shall be executed.
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3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons;
a trust; a charge.
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4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain
powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the
performance of certain duties.
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Let him see our commission. --Shak.
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5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and
authority; as, a colonel's commission.
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6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some
duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate
commerce commission.
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A commission was at once appointed to examine into
the matter. --Prescott.
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7. (Com.)
(a) The acting under authority of, or on account of,
another.
(b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have
three commissions for the city.
(c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent
for transacting business for another; as, a commission
of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere.
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Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array.
Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and
empowering certain persons to examine into the facts
relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the
bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors.
Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry
whether a person is a lunatic or not.
Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on
commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per
cent as his compensation.
Commission officer or Commissioned officer, (Mil.), one
who has a commission, in distinction from a
noncommissioned or warrant officer.
Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal,
constituting one or more persons justices of the peace.
[Eng.]
on commission, paid partly or completely by collecting as a
commision a portion of the sales that one makes.
out of commission, not operating properly; out of order.
To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a
government vessel, and send it out on service after it has
been laid up; esp., the formal act of taking command of a
vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders,
etc.
To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the
officers and crew and retire it from active service,
temporarily or permanently.
To put the great seal into commission or To put the
Treasury into commission, to place it in the hands of a
commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the
ordinary administration, as between the going out of one
lord keeper and the accession of another. [Eng.]
The United States Christian Commission, an organization
among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which
afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and
performed services of a religious character in the field
and in hospitals.
The United States Sanitary Commission, an organization
formed by the people of the North to cooperate with and
supplement the medical department of the Union armies
during the Civil War.
Syn: Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust;
employment.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Array \Ar*ray"\, n. [OE. arai, arrai, OF. arrai, arrei, arroi,
order, arrangement, dress, F. arroi; a (L. ad) + OF. rai,
rei, roi, order, arrangement, fr. G. or Scand.; cf. Goth.
raidjan, garaidjan, to arrange, MHG. gereiten, Icel.
rei[eth]i rigging, harness; akin to E. ready. Cf. Ready,
Greith, Curry.]
1. Order; a regular and imposing arrangement; disposition in
regular lines; hence, order of battle; as, drawn up in
battle array.
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Wedged together in the closest array. --Gibbon.
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2. The whole body of persons thus placed in order; an orderly
collection; hence, a body of soldiers.
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A gallant array of nobles and cavaliers. --Prescott.
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3. An imposing series of things.
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Their long array of sapphire and of gold. --Byron.
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4. Dress; garments disposed in order upon the person; rich or
beautiful apparel. --Dryden.
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5. (Law)
(a) A ranking or setting forth in order, by the proper
officer, of a jury as impaneled in a cause.
(b) The panel itself.
(c) The whole body of jurors summoned to attend the court.
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To challenge the array (Law), to except to the whole panel.
--Cowell. --Tomlins. --Blount.
Commission of array (Eng. Hist.), a commission given by the
prince to officers in every county, to muster and array
the inhabitants, or see them in a condition for war.
--Blackstone.
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