See Also: common(2)(dictionary)
common law(encyclopedia)
Common Law:(law)
common law(dictionary)
common(dictionary)
common-law(dictionary)
common law(dictionary)
Common Law(money)
VALUE, common law(law)
common(1)(dictionary)

common (iou)



common noun. See also COMMONS. ME.
[Partly repr. French commune (see COMMUNE noun1); partly Latin commune use as noun of neut. of communis; partly from the adjective.]
The community, the general body of people; occas., the State. ME-M17.
The common people, often as an estate of the realm. ME-M18.
An area of land held jointly by all the members of a community; in mod. use, a piece of open waste land or of common land. ME.
Christian Church. The parts of a service used for each of a certain class of occasions, e.g. saint's days, where no individual psalm, lesson, etc., is appointed. Cf. PROPER noun 2. ME.
Law. A right to make a particular kind of use of land or water owned by another. Also right of common. LME.
common of pasture, common of piscary, common of turbary, etc.
ellipt. Common sense. slang. E20.
Phrases: in common (a) generally; ordinarily; (b) in joint use or possession; (c) Law (held or owned) by two or more people each having undivided possession but with distinct, separately transferable interests (TENANCY in common); (cf. in severalty (a) s.v. SEVERALTY); (d) that is common to both or all; jointly with. the common what is usual or ordinary; now chiefly in out of the common, unusual.