commandn.
/kəˈmɑːnd/, /kəˈmand/, U.S. /kəˈmænd/ 1.
a. The act of commanding; the utterance or expression of an authoritative order or injunction; bidding.
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society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun]
willeOE
i-bodc888
bodea1000
hestc1000
bedec1175
bodewordc1175
device1307
commandmentc1386
assignment1393
hetec1394
commandinga1400
commissionc1400
willinga1425
mandament1442
behesting1582
command1611
assign1633
jussion1773
1611 Bible (King James) Job xxxix. 27 Doeth the Eagle mount vp at thy commaund ? View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iii. 5 One that attends your Ladiships command . View more context for this quotation
1716 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 1 Oct. (1965) I. 275 I am allways willing to obey your Commands.
1832 J. Austin Province Jurispr. i. 7 A command..is a signification of desire..but is distinguished..by this peculiarity: that the party to whom it is directed is liable to evil from the other, in case he comply not with the desire.
1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton xii. 171 Her suggestion being fully understood to be a command.
b. In various phrases, as at one's command, on command, etc. word of command: see quot. 18531.
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1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iv. 188 What we will doe, we doe vpon command . View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iii. iii. 94 They shall goe forward Kate at thy command . View more context for this quotation
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. 15 The next thing to be observed..is the Words of Command with readiness to answer and obey.
1811 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) VII. 544 The appointment, by command of the Prince Regent, of Major General Alten.
1853 J. H. Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 66/1 The orders..for certain motions, manœuvres, or evolutions, are called the ‘word of command’.
1853 J. H. Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 66/1 Officers or troops absent from quarters are said to be ‘on command’.
c. elliptical. A command performance (see Compounds below and command-night). colloquial.
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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > [noun] > a performance > other types
début1751
vehicle1785
benefit1802
showpiece1810
ticket-night1812
yatra1827
command1839
lollipopa1849
party piece1851
roadshow1874
one-night stand1878
stand1878
one-man show1879
small1886
command performance1897
ticket benefit1898
frivol1903
run-through1905
pre-production1906
riot1909
one-nighter1916
gala performance1932
improv1953
warm-up1958
workshopping1966
impro1979
1839 C. Dickens Let. 26 Jan. (1965) I. 497 We are engaged to Macready..at Covent Garden Theatre, on the night of the Queen's ‘command’.
d. Computing. An expression in a program, etc., that defines an operation, esp. a basic operation, or results in the performance of an operation; also, a signal or set of signals that results from such an expression and initiates the performance of the operation.
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society > computing and information technology > programming language > program or code > [noun] > instruction
command1946
function1946
fast forward1947
instruction1947
threshold function1947
statement1957
mips1973
1946 Ann. Computation Lab. Harvard Univ. 1 15 The calculator continues in operation only so long as the command ‘continue operation’ is repeated, cycle by cycle.
1949 Math. Tables & Other Aids Computation 3 428 In order to extract a group of digits contained within a word, with the commands available in the EDVAC, it is necessary to use two shift operations.
1951 Proc. IRE 39 272 The commands initiate the individual steps which form the process of executing the instruction.
1956 E. C. Berkeley & L. Wainwright Computers ii. 44 Other words for instruction are command, order, and program step.
1961 L. W. Hein Introd. Electronic Data Processing ii. 24 The clear add command first cleared the register to all zeros and then added to the register the contents of the specified address.
1966 New Scientist 27 Oct. 162/2 Conditional commands are allowed (‘save this data if the program test fails’).
1967 A. Hassitt Computer Programming i. 12 The orders that the CPU issues to the channel are usually called ‘commands’; the word ‘instruction’ is reserved for the orders that the CPU obeys.
2. An order authoritatively made and remaining in force, a commandment n.
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society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > a command
wordOE
behestc1175
commandmentc1250
precepta1325
mandementc1325
saw1338
hotea1350
biddinga1400
highta1400
judgementc1405
order1543
imperea1546
command1552
shall?1553
impery1561
mandate1576
mandition1597
imperative1606
fiata1631
mitzvah1723
order of the day1804
hukum1838
prikaz1858
society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > Old Testament > [noun] > Mosaic dispensation > decalogue > one of
commandmentc1325
weirda1400
statutec1430
law-word1645
command1667
1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. i. i. f. 5 The X. commandis.
1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. i. xx. f. 56v The Seuint command..Thow sall nocht steil.
1586 Queen Elizabeth I Let. in Hist. Eng. (1702) II. 53 We little thought that one We had raised out of the Dust would..haue slighted and broken our Commands.
1642 D. Rogers Naaman 553 As Papists have done with the second Command.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 652 God so commanded, and left that Command . View more context for this quotation
1722 D. Defoe Moll Flanders 138 It is ill venturing too near the brink of a Command.
1835 E. Bulwer-Lytton Rienzi I. i. iii. 48 But the command is hard.
3.
a. The faculty of commanding; exercise of authority; rule, control, sway; spec. that of a military or naval commander. Also figurative.
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society > authority > command > [noun]
wissingc1000
mandementc1325
commandance1452
conduct1530
conduction1551
commandment1592
command1594
society > armed hostility > military service > [noun] > leading or commanding
leadingc1400
governailc1425
magistration1490
conducting1517
manred1528
conduct1530
manrentc1540
conduction1551
commandment1592
command1594
commandery1598
captaincy1850
officering1890
1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. E4 Hast thou commaund ? View more context for this quotation
1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles xi. 3 Thou that hast Vpon the Windes commaund . View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) v. ii. 340 Your power and your command is taken off. View more context for this quotation
1678 S. Butler Hudibras: Third Pt. iii. i. 76 The Queen of Night, whose large command Rules all the Sea, and half the Land.
1685 J. Dryden Sylvæ Pref. sig. a1 Assuming an absolute command not only over his vulgar Reader.
1780 W. Cowper Table Talk 354 Men..raised to station and command.
1781–3 W. Cowper Lily & Rose 13 The Lily's height bespoke command.
1813 Ld. Byron Bride Abydos ii. ix. 147 High command Spake in his eye.
b. with its scope defined by of.
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1661 A. Cowley Vision Cromwell 57 A Title to the command of three Nations.
1666 S. Pepys Diary 20 Oct. (1972) VII. 333 [To] have the command of a ship.
1871 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1876) IV. xvii. 74 The military Command of the old imperial City.
1876 J. R. Green Short Hist. Eng. People viii. 546.
c. with a and plural. Authority.
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society > authority > [noun]
doomc1000
strengthOE
obediencea1225
bandon?c1225
mastery?c1225
authority1340
bailliec1380
obeisancea1393
baila1400
mastership?a1425
jurisdictionc1425
masterdomc1475
reformation1523
maistrice1526
swinge1531
potentness1581
obey1584
masterfulnessa1586
prevailance1592
covert1596
magistrality1603
command1608
magistery1642
magisteriality1646
sway1765
tenure1871
society > faith > aspects of faith > Bible, Scripture > Testament > Old Testament > [noun] > Mosaic dispensation > decalogue
lawc1000
Ten WordsOE
Ten Commandmentsc1280
the ten preceptsa1325
Decalogue1382
testimony1535
command1608
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear vii. 399 How in a house Should many people vnder two commands Hold amytie. View more context for this quotation
d. Phrases.
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1598 R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) I. Pref. sig. **2 200. French ships, and vnder the commaund of captaine Henry Pay.
1631 J. Weever Anc. Funerall Monuments 534 A man of great command in this Countie.
c1639 Roxburghe Ballads VI. 429 A battel fought upon the seas, by a ship of brave command.
1779 Gentleman's Mag. 49 58 Having a fleet of thirty ships of war under his command.
1853 J. H. Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. 66/1 An officer at the head of a troop..garrison..or detachment is ‘in command’.
4.
a. Power of control, disposal, or direction; mastery; possession with full power to use. command of language, command of words, etc.: facility of expression.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > [noun] > possession and control
wieldnesseOE
wieldOE
wieldingOE
command1642
society > authority > control > [noun]
steera900
governaila1382
governancea1393
controlment1495
moderation1526
control1583
command1642
whip-handle1861
whip-hold1895
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > [noun] > opportunity or practice of using > full power to use
command1642
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > elegance > [noun] > fitting word > skill in use of words
command of language1781
wordmanship1882
wordsmanship1917
1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xviii. 430 No man had better command of rain and sunshine in his face.
1658 J. Robinson Endoxa i. 11 The choice..is within the command of our will.
1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 23 The..Priest behav'd with great Command of his Passions.
1781 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall III. 189 The familiar use, and absolute command, of the Latin language.
c1850 Arabian Nights (Rtldg.) 37 I had sufficient command over myself to suppress my emotions.
1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues II. 183 Having gifts of courage..and command of money and friends.
1878 J. W. Ebsworth in Brathwait's Strappado (new ed.) Introd. p. xxvi Men inferior to him in command of words.
b. at command: ready to receive or obey orders; under one's control; at one's service or disposal; available to use, spend, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > in use [phrase] > at one's disposal
command1560
at command1584
at (a person's) service1595
1584 F. Walsingham Let. in T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. (1655) ix. 162 And so I humbly take my leave. Your Graces at command Francis Walsingham.
1592 A. Day 2nd Pt. Eng. Secretorie sig. N2v, in Eng. Secretorie (rev. ed.) His house, his land, his purse..were all at his command.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) i. ii. 45 Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command . View more context for this quotation
1630 tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) 61 Hee is held the only wise man, who hath the world at most command.
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) xii. §6. 246 With your Spaniel well instructed, and at command.
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 76. ⁋1 Yet has he seldom a guinea at command.
1862 Cornhill Mag. June 649 The reader's very humble servant at command.
1872 J. Morley Voltaire iv. 157 An absolute monarch, with the most perfect military machine..at his command.
5. ‘Cogent authority, despotism’ (Johnson); coercion.
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society > authority > rule or government > a or the system of government > other systems > [noun] > by force
chirocracy1677
command1693
coercion1798
cannonarchy1841
buckshot-rule1881
1693 J. Locke Some Thoughts conc. Educ. §190. 243 Command and Force may often create, but can never cure an Aversion.
1854 H. Spencer Social Statics (new ed.) 180 Command cannot be otherwise than savage, for it implies an appeal to force, should force be needful.
6.
a. The power of dominating surrounding country in virtue of elevated or strategic position; used literally of the gunshot range of military positions, and also in various transferred senses.
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society > armed hostility > military operations > distribution of troops > military position > [noun] > power of command due to position
commandmenta1572
command1703
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica i. v. 18 Within command of the flaming swords. View more context for this quotation
a1665 K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. to Mediterranean (1868) 23 I..gott my fleete out of command of the fortes.
1703 London Gaz. No. 3937/4 Of the whole Fleet only 4 escaped, by getting under the Command of Granville Fort.
1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. vi. 480 His command of the passes of the Alps.
b. spec. in Fortification (see quots.).
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1823 G. Crabb Universal Technol. Dict. (at cited word) A command in front, when any eminence is directly facing the work which it commands. A command in rear..A command by enfilade.
1830 E. S. N. Campbell Dict. Mil. Sci. 40 s.v. The Command of the Bastion over the surrounding country is nineteen feet.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 202 Command..the height of the top of the parapet of a work above the level of the country.
1888 Times 20 Aug. 12/1 The Woolwich guns have, the one a command—i.e. a height above the ground of 3 ft. 6 in.
c. Range of vision, outlook, prospect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > [noun] > range or field of
eyeOE
sightc1175
eyesightc1225
kenning1530
view1553
reach1579
kena1592
sight-shot1663
command1697
field1721
eye scope1853
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 420 A steepy Stand, Which overlooks the Vale with wide Command.
1785 W. Cowper Task i. 290 The eye..posted on this speculative height Exults in its command.
d. in Cards. See quot. and cf. command v. 16.
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1874 Mod. Hoyle 22 You get rid of the command of your partner's strong suit most readily by leading your highest of the suit.
1876 A. Campbell-Walker Correct Card Gloss. p. xi Command of a suit, having the best cards of that suit.
7. A position in which one commands; esp. a military or naval commander's post.high command, higher command: see the first element.
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society > authority > command > [noun] > one who has or exercises command > position of
commandery1598
command1609
commandership1611
1609 [see sense 3a].
a1687 W. Petty Polit. Arithm. (1691) x. 115 Commands in our ordinary Army and Navy.
1764 T. H. Croker et al. Compl. Dict. Arts & Sci. I Command, in the royal navy, implies the rank and power of an officer who has the management of a ship of war.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 58 The places and commands which he held under the Crown.
1863 J. Ruskin Munera Pulveris (1880) 136 Let us sell the commands of our prospective battles..to the lowest bidder.
1886 Whitaker's Almanack 159 District Commands (Home), Aldershot.
1886 Whitaker's Almanack 191 Navy Pay..Admiral (home command) £1,825.
8.
a. The body of troops under a commander.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > unit of army > [noun] > body under one commander
command1592
1592 W. Wyrley Lord Chandos in True Vse Armorie 90 To ride with me him most humbly praying With his command.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) i. vii. 84 Foure shall quickly draw out my Command, Which men are best inclin'd.
1745 Earl of Shaftesbury in Priv. Lett. 1st Ld. Malmesbury I. 15 Sir John Ligonier is going from hence with a large command (I am told near 10,000 men).
1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians II. xli. 55 Col. Dodge ordered the command to halt.
1854 J. R. Bartlett Personal Narr. II. xxxi. 259 Lieutenant Paige..set out on his return to the Colorado this morning, with his command.
1891 Cent. Mag. Mar. 645 The march began at sundown..the command halting only to tighten cinches.
b. In the names of various groups of armed forces, as of a unit on special duty, or of troops in a specified area, as Command Bomber, Command Fighter, South-East Asia Command. Also absol. Cf. coastal adj.
ΚΠ
1939 Times Weekly 1 Nov. 9/1 Aircraft of the Fighter Command have again been in action.
1939 War Illustr. 29 Dec. 538/2 A number of Squadrons forming a Wing, so many Wings a Group, and so to the Command.
1941 Hutchinson's Pict. Hist. War 14 May 75 A battery command post in the Eastern Command during shooting practice.
1945 Yorks. Post 19 Apr. 3/1 Measures to improve conditions for troops in India and the South-East Asia Command were announced.
1960 B. Horrocks Full Life xxi. 278 Before the war Western Command had always been regarded as a backwater.
9. The district under a commander; or, more generally, under the lordship of any one.
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society > authority > rule or government > territorial jurisdiction or areas subject to > [noun] > area over which jurisdiction exercised
land and ledeOE
regimenta1393
franchisea1400
right?a1400
obeisance1419
liberty?1435
English palec1453
palec1453
English palea1549
judgement1617
command1621
commandment1632
bourne1818
Crown land1849
rulership1882
overseas territory1900
1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 381 Bury mee..not heere, but in some of your owne commands.
a1695 T. Dineley Acct. Progr. Duke of Beaufort (1864) (title page) Generall visitacon of his Comands.
1716 London Gaz. No. 5402/3 A Noble Command for Game, about 20 Miles in Circumference.
1871 Times 1 June 5/1 The city of Paris is to be divided into four commands.
Compounds
command aeroplane n. (see quot.).
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1918 E. S. Farrow Dict. Mil. Terms Command Aëroplanes.—Aëroplanes which observe the general progress of the combat and all that occurs on the side of the enemy.
command allowance n. Military the additional allowance attached to a command.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > pay of troops > soldier's pay > additional > types of
conduct-money1512
conduct1644
belt money1648
riding money1668
batta1680
clearing1689
table money1705
field allowance1744
marching money1837
command allowance1860
command pay1875
1860 Leisure Hour 22 Mar. 186/2 Some pompous old British general.., merely imported to the East for the purpose of drawing his command allowance of £4000 a-year.
1904 R. Kipling in Windsor Mag. Jan. 228/2 'Is nephew wants two bottles [of rum] command-allowance.
command car n. U.S. a staff car.
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1956 E. Wilson Red, Black, Blond & Olive ii. 103 We were supposed to be met by a command car.
command guidance n. U.S. the guidance of missiles, or of pilotless aircraft, by electronic signals; so command-guidance system, command missile.
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1947 Time 23 June 70/3 ‘Command’ missiles follow orders (radio signals) from the ground, a ship, or a piloted aircraft.
1949 Newsweek 21 Feb. 52/2 Command guidance... In this system the missile only needs to carry enough mechanism to receive and obey commands from the ground.
1952 K. W. Gatland Devel. Guided Missile i. 15 In the Command-Guidance system, one radar tracks the target, while the other tracks the missile, and each feed [sic] data into a computer, whereby steering commands are transmitted to the missile.
command-in-chief n. supreme military charge (cf. Commander-in-chief n. at commander n. 10).
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > [noun] > commander-in-chief > position of
captain-generalcy1844
captaincy-general1846
command-in-chief1859
1859 J. Lang Wanderings in India 363 I am to have the command-in-chief at Bombay.
1888 Spectator 30 June 877/1 The direct command-in-chief of a million soldiers.
command language n. Computing a source language composed chiefly of a set of commands or operators, used esp. for communicating with the operating system of a computer; spec. a job control language.
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society > computing and information technology > programming language > [noun] > communicating with operating system
command language1958
job control language1967
1958 in W. W. Youden Computer Literature Bibliogr. 1946–63 (1965) 13 A command language for handling strings of symbols.
1963 Communications ACM 6 117/1 A REtrieval COmmand Language (RECOL) which has sufficient flexibility for a number of applications requiring access to data stored in serial files.
1971 B. H. Rudall in R. A. Wisbey Computer in Lit. & Ling. Res. 281 (heading) A command language for text processing.
1985 Personal Computer World Feb. 163/1 This makes it possible to write command language interpreters, or shell programs as simple Modula-2 programs.
command module n. (see quot. 1964).
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society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > [noun] > module or capsule > command module or mother ship
command module1962
command service module1969
mother ship1969
1962 New Scientist 19 July 123 A three-stage vehicle will send a spacecraft containing three men in a pressurized cabin (the command module) towards the Moon.
1964 J. L. Nayler Dict. Astronautics 51 Command module, the compartment in a spacecraft containing the personnel and the main controls.
1970 Guardian 18 Apr. 1/1 Two hours later came the jettisoning of the lunar module after the complex alignment procedures..on the command module had been completed.
command-night n. the night on which a theatrical performance, etc., is given by (royal) command.
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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > [noun] > a performance > night of performance
night1707
opening nightc1814
command-night1826
1826 J. O'Keefe Recoll. I. i. 33 I often saw them..on the command nights at the theatre.
1911 G. B. Shaw Let. 27 June (1956) 174 I feel some remorse at having stolen so much of her command night.
command paper n. (abbreviated c., Cd., Cmd. or Cmnd. with register number, as Cd. 5723) a paper laid before Parliament, etc., by command of the Crown (see quot. 1929).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > a or the government > state, government, or parliamentary papers > [noun] > command paper
command paper1886
1886 Accounts & Papers XXXIX. p. lxxi Numerical List of Command Papers...c. 4603 Meteorology.
1900 Accounts & Papers LX. p. lxxxi Cd. 1 Trade Reports.
1919 Accounts & Papers XXIII. p. xxxvi Cmd. 1 Colonial Reports.
1922 Westm. Gaz. 1 Dec. There was issued as a command paper yesterday the text of a supplementary extradition convention.
1929 G. F. M. Campion Introd. Procedure House of Commons 69 Command Papers cover all the more important documents which the Government and the departments wish to publish on their own initiative.
1956 H. M. S. O. (title) Report on the Proceedings of the..Assembly of the Council of Europe... Presented by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty December 1956. Cmnd. 26.
command pay n. = command allowance n.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > [noun] > pay of troops > soldier's pay > additional > types of
conduct-money1512
conduct1644
belt money1648
riding money1668
batta1680
clearing1689
table money1705
field allowance1744
marching money1837
command allowance1860
command pay1875
1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 576/1 Lieutenant-Colonels of regiments, and other officers holding commands of wings, batteries, or depôts, receive ‘command pay’ of from 3s. to 1s. 6d. daily.
1876 G. E. Voyle & G. de Saint-Clair-Stevenson Mil. Dict. (ed. 3) at Command A certain ‘command pay’ attached, in addition to the regimental pay.
command performance n. a theatrical, musical, etc. performance given by royal command; also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > [noun] > a performance > other types
début1751
vehicle1785
benefit1802
showpiece1810
ticket-night1812
yatra1827
command1839
lollipopa1849
party piece1851
roadshow1874
one-night stand1878
stand1878
one-man show1879
small1886
command performance1897
ticket benefit1898
frivol1903
run-through1905
pre-production1906
riot1909
one-nighter1916
gala performance1932
improv1953
warm-up1958
workshopping1966
impro1979
1897 Strand Mag. 13 623 A ‘Command’ Performance at Windsor fifty years ago.
1922 Westm. Gaz. 29 Dec. She was a favourite at Command performances.
1934 Ld. Berners First Childhood xxiii. 235 The hissing..had been a ‘command performance’ and not in the least a genuine manifestation of public opinion.
command post n. Military the headquarters of a unit (see also quot. 1918 for command aeroplane n.) U.S.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > shelter or screen > [noun] > other shelters
bomb-proof1755
splinter-proof1805
blast wall1852
command post1918
bunker1939
fallout shelter1955
society > armed hostility > military operations > distribution of troops > military position > [noun] > headquarters
headquarters1644
general headquartersa1711
GHQ1856
fire command1907
command post1918
1918 E. S. Farrow Dict. Mil. Terms 134 Command post, a shelter near the observation station of a commander.
1941 [see sense 8b]. 1946 Amer. Speech 21 71/1 A private in the front was charged with the duty of sending reports back to the battalion CP (Command Post) by messenger.
command service module n. a spacecraft comprising the command module and the service module, after the descent (e.g. lunar) module has been jettisoned.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > [noun] > module or capsule > command module or mother ship
command module1962
command service module1969
mother ship1969
1969 Times 21 Apr. 8/6 Close-up views of the moon..will be taken from the command service module (C.S.M.) and not from the L.M.
Draft additions December 2016
command central n. a place from which an operation or activity is monitored or controlled; a centre of operations; also in extended use; cf. central n.1 3.
ΚΠ
1973 Skiing Feb. 10/2 The PSIA [= Professional Ski Instructors of America] is not a monolithic block. I know many excellent ski instructors and ski schools..—they don't all take orders from Command Central.
1994 Wanderer 11 Aug. 5/1 There is no Command Central for the pro-life movement.
2004 Hoosier Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 7 Nov. (Herald-Times ed.) g4/1 The home is ‘command central’ for a variety of activities involving other people, including work and socializing.
Draft additions 1993
command-driven adj. (of a program or computer) operated by means of commands keyed in by the user or issued by another program or computer (opposed to menu-driven adj. at menu n. Compounds).
ΘΚΠ
society > computing and information technology > [adjective] > relating to user interface
touch-sensitive1969
menu-driven1979
command-driven1983
mouse-controlled1983
mouse-driven1983
greyed-out1985
1983 Your Computer July 31/3 dBase is command-driven; that is, it does not present the user with menus of possible actions but instead relies upon the user to type in ‘English-like’ sentences specifying what he wants done.
1986 S. P. Harter Online Information Retrieval ii. 27 The major disadvantage of a command-driven system for online information retrieval is that the user must be quite familiar with the command language of the system to use it effectively.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
commandv.
/kəˈmɑːnd/, /kəˈmand/, U.S. /kəˈmænd/ I. Simple sense. transitive. To order, enjoin, bid with authority or influence. Properly said of persons, but also figuratively of things.The original complete construction was with accusative of the thing enjoined and dative of the person to whom the injunction is given: Latin hoc tibi mando, commendo; French je le lui commande. In Middle English the dative was sometimes expressed by to, ‘all thingis that I comaunde to thee’, but usually without it; hence the construction was formally two objects, ‘I command thee this’, the distinction of which as indirect and direct, has tended in many cases to be lost sight of. Either object may be unexpressed, leaving the other apparently as the sole object. The original accusative is often represented by a clause or infinitive phrase, ‘I command him to come, or that he come’; in which case the remaining personal object is apt to be viewed as direct, although it is historically a dative; cf. French commande aux esclaves de venir, command (to) the slaves to come. Either object, if it be a n. or pronoun, may become the subject in the passive voice; ‘that which is commanded’, ‘he is commanded to go’.
1. † b. with the direct object expressed by a clause (or sentence). Obsolete.
a. with direct and indirect object (the latter formerly often with to).
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)]
i-bedea800
highteOE
bid971
bibedec1000
ordainc1325
warnc1380
commanda1382
tella1475
mand1483
wishc1515
hest1582
behight1591
order1609
mandate1623
warrant1632
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Jer. i. 17 Alle thingus that I comaunde to thee.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 6809 Noght þat allon, i comande ȝou.
c1450 (a1393) J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Harl. 3490) i. 2 [I] me recommaunde To him [Richard II] which all me may commaunde.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 258 Yat commaundyt is him to.
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection ii. sig. Oiiv To commaunde [printed cōmannde] obedience to other.
1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ii. i. 246 Will your grace command me any seruice to the worldes end. View more context for this quotation
1611 Bible (King James) 1 Sam. xxi. 2 The king hath commanded me a businesse. View more context for this quotation
1615 W. Bedwell tr. Mohammedis Imposturæ ii. §62 An vnderstanding and iust man, doth not command to another man, any thing but that which he doth vnderstand.
1628 T. Hobbes tr. Thucydides Peloponnesian War (1822) 70 You shall..be commanded a greater matter.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 747 Defaming..what God..commands to som, leaves free to all. View more context for this quotation
1891 N.E.D. at Command Mod. What the Queen commands you, must be done.
ΚΠ
c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 203 He..him hete & comandi Þat he in to chaumber went.
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. iv. 8 Comaunde him þat he come.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 20687 Now i cumaund te Mi moder bodi kep wel to me.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxiv. 110 He comaunded to all..þat þai schuld forsake all þat þai had.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. ix. 84 Be styll, beshers, I commawnd yow.
1611 Bible (King James) Neh. xiii. 20 I commanded the Leuites that they should cleanse themselues. View more context for this quotation
c. with direct object represented by an infinitive (formerly with for to; also often, as in Shakespeare, without to: cf. bid them go).
ΚΠ
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 236 Of what kin he were kome [he] komanded him telle.
c1386 G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale 477 This child I am comanded for to take.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 5986 Als he has comanded vs to do.
c1440 York Myst. xxxii. 119 Þus ȝe comaunded youre knyghtis for to saie.
1594 C. Marlowe & T. Nashe Dido iv. iii The dream..Commands me leave these unrenowmed reams [realms].
1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 21 Cardinall Wolsey..commaunded all his servaunts to vse no French.
1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. Pref. 3 The Scriptures we are commanded to search.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. viii. 12 Command the Citizens make Bonfires. View more context for this quotation
1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. viii. 153 He then commanded his Men to row up to that Side.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 260 The Princess Anne..had commanded him to assure her illustrious relatives at the Hague that, etc.
d. in place of the infinitive there is occasionally a noun with to, ‘to command a person to a thing’, thus reversing the original construction. archaic or Obsolete (cf. sense 6).
ΚΠ
1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iii. ii. 349 These [stoppes] cannot I commaund to any vttrance of harmonie. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. i. 20 If you can command these Elements to silence. View more context for this quotation
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 65 Your Majesty may command me to any Thing.
2. With the indirect object only: = To give commandment (to); to order, charge.
ΚΠ
c1380 J. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 434 Þer weren noon ordre, but ilche man myȝte ylyche comaunde to oþer.
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Josh. i. 9 I comaunde to thee [L. praecipio tibi] tak coumfort.
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Josh. i. 10 Josue comaundide to the pryncis of the puple, seiynge.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 6816 Als i haue comanded to þe [Trin. Cambr. comaundide þe].
1611 Bible (King James) Gen. xlix. 33 Iacob had made an end of commanding his sonnes. View more context for this quotation
1625 C. Burges New Discouery Personal Tithes 68 God gaue authoritie to the Husband to command his Wife in lawfull things.
1727 D. Defoe Syst. Magick i. iv. 114 He can speak nothing but as God shall command him.
3. With the direct object only: To bid, order, ordain, appoint, prescribe.† c. object an infinitive. Obsolete.
a. object a n. or pron.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > ordain, prescribe, or appoint
asetc885
teachc897
deemc900
ashapea1000
i-demeOE
setc1000
shiftc1000
stevenOE
redeOE
willOE
lookc1175
showc1175
stablea1300
devise1303
terminea1325
shapec1330
stightlea1375
determinec1384
judgea1387
sign1389
assize1393
statute1397
commanda1400
decree1399
yarka1400
writec1405
decreetc1425
rule1447
stallc1460
constitute1481
assignc1485
institute1485
prescribec1487
constitue1489
destinate1490
to lay down1493
make?a1513
call1523
plant1529
allot1532
stint1533
determ1535
appointa1538
destinec1540
prescrive1552
lot1560
fore-appoint1561
nominate1564
to set down1576
refer1590
sort1592
doom1594
fit1600
dictate1606
determinate1636
inordera1641
state1647
fix1660
direct1816
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12639 Þat þai comaund wald or bide..he dide.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 10676 It was..commandid in þair ald lai.
c1400 Mandeville Voiage & Travaile (1839) xxiii. 254 What so euere ȝee commanden, it schall be don.
c1440 Gesta Romanorum (Harl.) iv. 10 I seide..þat if too Ivelis wer commaundid, þe lesse were to be chosyne.
1549 Bk. Common Prayer (STC 16267) Celebr. Holye Communion f. lxxxvii Make vs to loue that whiche thou doest commaunde.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II v. v. 101 Sir Pierce..commaunds the contrary. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) v. i. 455 It was commanded so. View more context for this quotation
1642 T. Fuller Holy State iv. vii. 272 He searcheth whether malice did not command that oath.
1793 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. (ed. 12) 296 That court had power to command the execution of it.
1883 J. A. Froude Short Stud. IV. ii. i. 167 The rule of life which religion commands.
b. object a clause (or sentence).
ΚΠ
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4417 Putefar þan comanded son þat ioseph suld be tan.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 2431 Þe king..commaunded thoru-out al his land Men suld him mensk.
a1400 Isumbras 265 The sowdane..command that they solde be broghte.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. vii. 66 The fyft commaundys thou shall forsake Fornycacyon.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iv. 191 The great King of Kings, Hath in the tables of his law commanded, That thou shalt doe no murder. View more context for this quotation
1611 Bible (King James) Neh. xiii. 19 I commanded that the gates should be shut. View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost i. 531 Then strait commands that at the warlike sound..be upreard His mighty Standard. View more context for this quotation
1891 N.E.D. at Command Mod. The Queen has commanded that specimens be submitted to her.
ΚΠ
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 63 Þan comandid Harald Þo londes to destroie.
c1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 548 The emperour comandede anone, Afftir the childe for to goon.
1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 45 [He] commanded to sadle his hors.
1611 Bible (King James) Matt. xix. 7 Why did Moses then command to giue a writing of diuorcement. View more context for this quotation
d. The object is often a n. or pron. with infinitive passive: thus, instead of ‘he commanded (some one) to bring the prisoners’, or ‘he commanded that the prisoners should be brought’, the usual phrase is, ‘he commanded the prisoners to be brought’, where the italicized words are historically only the direct object; but the construction simulates that in 1b, ‘he commanded the men to be silent (= he commanded them silence), where both objects are actually present.
ΚΠ
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Matt. xviii. 25 His lord comaundide hym to be sold [so all 16th c. vv. (exc. Rhem. ‘commaunded that he should be sold’) and Revised 1881].
c1460 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (1714) 120 Octavyan..comaundyd al the World to be discryvyd as subgett unto hym.
1509 J. Fisher Mornynge Remembraunce Countesse of Rychemonde (de Worde) sig. Av v Ordynaunces..whiche..she commaunded to be redde.
1545 R. Ascham Toxophilus i. f. 5v [Darius] commaunded this sentence to be grauen in his tombe.
1611 Bible (King James) Acts xxv. 6 He..commanded Paul to be brought [so all vv.] . View more context for this quotation
4. absol. With no object: To perform the action of commanding; to give commandments.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command or give orders [verb (intransitive)]
command1393
ordaina1400
dictatea1628
1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 347 It is right esy to commaunde.
a1425 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Galba) l. 29111 We may ensawmple tell How crist cumandes in his godspell.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III iv. iv. 276 The king which may command intreats. View more context for this quotation
1625 C. Burges New Discouery Personal Tithes 66 Hee..beleeues the Magistrate doth neuer command till he smite.
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess v. 116 Man to command, and woman to obey.
5. figurative in all constructions.
ΚΠ
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. ix. 230 So commaundeþ treuthe.
c1400 Rom. Rose 34 Love..Comaundeth me, that it be so.
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. E My sick heart commands mine eyes to watch. View more context for this quotation
1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 142 Riches are pass'd away..As fortune, vice or folly may command.
II. elliptical. Involving the sense of a verb of motion, of giving, etc.† 7. To order to be given; to demand with authority. Sometimes of or from a person. Obsolete.
6. † c. technical. To cause to move, drive, actuate. Obsolete.
a. To order to come or go to, from, into, upon (a place or action), away, here, home, etc. to command from: to order to depart or refrain from.Cf. to order goods, order any one home, away, off, out.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > send (a person)
sendc950
commandc1410
summonc1460
putc1540
order1649
c1410 Sir Cleges 373 He commaundyd Sir Cleges to mete.
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 183 The king..commaunded him to Prison.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. iii. 143 Command these fretting waters from your eies. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) v. i. 337 I Sir am Dromio, command him away. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) ii. i. 27 I am commanded here. View more context for this quotation
1620 Horæ Subseciuæ 469 You see I could not command these waues from touching me.
1647 N. Bacon Hist. Disc. Govt. lxii. 201 To command a tenant into warre against his own Lord.
1670 J. Milton Hist. Brit. ii. 77 Commanded home for doeing too much.
1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 235 I..charg'd them..to command them off.
1725 J. Collier Several Disc. 159 When he [a soldier] is commanded upon a hazardous Action.
1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World ix. 286 Coming..within the reach of our musquets, we with them commanded them aboard of us.
b. figurative. To cause to come; to send with authority.
ΚΠ
1611 Bible (King James) Lev. xxv. 21 I will command [L. dabo, Wycl. give, Coverd. send] my blessing vpon you. View more context for this quotation
1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 174 See me sworn to serve thee [Truth], and command A painter's skill into a poet's hand.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > impel or drive [verb (transitive)]
driveeOE
sendc950
stira1300
enforce1340
swayc1400
compel1447
force1582
impel1611
impulse1611
to set gone?1611
to knock on1642
pulse1666
command1680
1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xii. 209 Your Leg may..command the Pole down again.
1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. x. 187 Besides, the commanding Heavy Work about, the Wheel ridds Work faster off than the Pole can do.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > demand
bid971
ofgoOE
askOE
cravec1025
to call after ——?a1300
requirea1382
callc1430
protest1459
to call for ——1479
demand1489
speer1493
command1576
to put (also place, call, etc.) in (or into) requisition1831
requisition1874
1576 A. Fleming tr. Cicero in Panoplie Epist. 15 All that may be, commaund and looke for at my handes.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) v. i. 49 Let my Soueraigne..Command my eldest sonne, nay all my sonnes, As pledges. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) i. v. 8 I beseech your Grace,..wherefore you haue Commanded of me these most poysonous Compounds. View more context for this quotation
1786 A. M. Bennett Juvenile Indiscretions V. 122 He presented, at her command, a rose that he gathered..Again a flower was commanded.
III. To have power to order; to have at or under command or disposal; to control, dominate.
8. figurative.a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. i. 31 This other [Key] doth command a little doore. View more context for this quotation1780 W. Cowper Table Talk 481 The mind that can..command the lyre.1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam lxxxvi. 128 My harp would prelude woe—I cannot all command the strings. View more context for this quotationfigurative.1638 W. Chillingworth Relig. Protestants 1 Where and when your Religion hath most absolutely commanded..Atheisme hath most abounded.1866 in C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David (1872) III. Ps. lxiii Imperial Psalms, that command over all affections.
a. transitive. To have authority over; to be master of; to hold in control or subjection; to sway, rule.The object was originally dative as in 2; hence in Middle English with to.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > have command over [verb (transitive)]
command1382
imperate1598
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Judges ix. 13 [12] The trees speken to the viyn, Com, and comaunde to vs [L. impera nobis].
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Dan. ii. 39 The thrid rewme..whiche shal comaunde to al erthe.
a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. Ev The hautie Dane commands the narrow seas.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 38 Thou art Protector, And lookest to command the Prince and Realme. View more context for this quotation
1630 tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) 373 The Knights of Jerusalem..command all in all here.
1776 C. Lee in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1853) I. 153 Whoever commands the sea commands the town.
1807 J. Barlow Columbiad ii. 88 Tygers fierce command the shuddering wood.
b. absol.; rarely with over.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > have command [verb (intransitive)]
imperate1598
command1603
1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 75 The great Cham..commaundeth ouer one of the greatest..empires of the world.
1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 4 The Kings of England..have commaunded from..Orkenay, to the Pyrene Mountaines.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 9 Vertue he had, deseruing to command . View more context for this quotation
1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. iv. xi. sig. Ee7v It is..requisite that the Prince know how to command well.
1799 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 2 302 Persons..born to command.
9.
a. To be commander or captain of (a force, fortress, ship, or the like).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military service > make into soldier [verb (transitive)] > lead or command
leada900
awit1250
guidec1374
conducta1500
command1594
officer1709
command-in-chief1759
fight1779
general1797
1594 C. Marlowe & T. Nashe Dido iv. iv Æneas may command as many Moors As in the sea are little water-drops.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) v. ii. 19 Those he commands, moue onely in command, Nothing in loue. View more context for this quotation
1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 307 This city..was commanded by governor Carleton.
1806 A. Duncan Life Nelson 11 Captain Lutwidge commanded another bomb-vessel.
1837 W. Irving Adventures Capt. Bonneville I. 140 To dispose of all the beaver they take, to the trader who commands the camp.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 633 He still continued to command his old soldiers.
b. absol. To be commander, have the command.
ΚΠ
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) iii. vi. 55 A disaster of warre that Cæsar him selfe could not haue preuented, if he had beene there to command . View more context for this quotation
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 282 Collonel Forbes..commanded at the Siege.
1847 L. H. Kerr tr. L. von Ranke Hist. Servia 279 No Nenadowitsch now commanded on the Drina.
10. To be master of (oneself, one's emotions, feelings, etc.); to hold in check, control, restrain (the passions). Formerly also with over.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > calmness > self-possession or self-control > control oneself or the emotions [verb (transitive)]
govern1340
sober1390
obtempera1492
refrain?1521
control1568
obtemperate1575
command1586
smother1594
subject1620
controla1627
possess1643
reduce1643
devour1650
stiflea1683
to wrestle down1808
1586 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 335 He enioyeth true tranquillitie..commaunding ouer the vnpure affections of the flesh.
1602 J. Marston Antonios Reuenge i. v. sig. Cv Tis reasons glorie to commaund affects.
a1625 J. Fletcher Pilgrim v. iv, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Iiiii2/1 Command thy selfe, and then thou art right, Command thy will: thy foule desires..Command thy mind, and make that pure.
1706 J. Logan in Mem. Hist. Soc. Pennsylvania (1872) X. 162 He cannot command himself.
1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 155 Forester commanded his temper.
1833 T. Hook Widow vii, in Love & Pride I. 178 Can I command my feelings?
11. To have (a thing) at one's bidding, or within one's power for use or enjoyment; to have at disposal or within one's reach or grasp.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > have or possess [verb (transitive)] > possess and control
wieldeOE
to owe (also have) a wold (also on wield)c1175
to be mistress of1590
master1594
commanda1616
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > use or make use of [verb (transitive)] > have at one's disposal
commanda1616
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) i. ii. 463 It is in mine authoritie to command The Keyes of all the Posternes. View more context for this quotation
1633 P. Massinger New Way to pay Old Debts ii. ii. sig. D4 Could you not command your leasure one houre longer?
1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xiv. 412 Those who deserve no beere may command the best wine.
1713 J. Addison Cato 1 'Tis not in mortals to command success, But we'll do more Sempronius, we'll deserve it.
c1790 J. Willock Voy. diverse parts ix. 273 The safest..passage..lies through these islands, as, in case of a storm, ships can always command a port.
1794 E. Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 247 It is not every day I can command that sum [fifty guineas].
1817 T. R. Malthus Ess. Princ. Population (ed. 5) I. i. iv. 34 Such an increase as will enable the mass of the society to command more food.
1881 J. Russell Haigs of Bemersyde iii. 39 All the skill which the sculptor could command.
12.
a. To have (a person or his services) at one's call or disposal.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > [verb (transitive)] > have authority over
lordshipc1350
maistriec1400
mastera1425
manc1426
overlordshipc1460
domine1481
to carry the sway of1549
overmastera1557
command1575
swinge1593
monarch1600
dominate1611
dominion1647
dominate1870
society > authority > subjection > service > serve [verb (transitive)] > have services of
to have retinue of1491
employ1523
command1575
1575 J. Awdely Fraternitye of Vacabondes (new ed.) sig. B2 If euer he may do him any frendship..he shal commaund him.
1594 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 iv. v. 7 Such aide as I can spare, you shall command.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iii. i. 23 Command me while I liue. View more context for this quotation
1859 W. M. Thackeray Virginians xix. 147 If any of us can be of use..you sure ought to command us.
b. phr. Yours (etc.) to command (†to be commanded): i.e. for you to command or dispose of.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > service > at one's service or ready to serve [phrase] > as phrase of politeness
to command (to be commanded)1560
at your service1592
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > in use [phrase] > at one's disposal
command1560
at command1584
at (a person's) service1595
1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. clxiiij The somme of the Archebyshoppes letters was..that he is all his to commaunde.
a1577 Ferrers in G. Gascoigne Princelie Pleasures Kenelworth sig. A.iij, in Whole Wks. (1587) The Lake, the Lodge, the Lord, are yours now to commande.
1586 A. Day Eng. Secretorie i. sig. C2v Which Subscriptions..shall passe in this order:..Your L[ordships]. in whatsoeuer to be commanded..Your honours euer to bee commaunded [etc.].
1626 in W. Lithgow Trav. (1682) x. 467 Your Lordships to command to serve you.
1856 W. Collins Stolen Letter in After Dark 49 Yours to command, Thomas Boxsius.
13. To secure by just claim or rightful title; to exact, compel (respect, confidence, sympathy, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > dueness or propriety > [verb (transitive)] > demand or call out for (some action) > secure by just claim
commanda1616
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) iii. i. 8 This place commands my patience. View more context for this quotation
1771 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra (1772) II. lix. 267 A great man commands the affections of the people.
1801 M. Edgeworth Prussian Vase in Moral Tales III. 38 She..must..command your sympathy.
1871 S. Smiles Character i. 9 They will..command the confidence which they really deserve.
1885 Spectator 18 July 943/2 His literary criticisms..when they fail to command our assent, nearly always command our admiration.
14.
a. To dominate by reason of (superior) local or strategic position; to control by overlooking or over-topping; spec. said of the artillery of a fortified eminence. Also intransitive with over.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > high position > set in a high position [verb (transitive)] > occupy a height over or dominate
overstandeOE
overview1564
domain1589
command1610
supervise1624
overlook1632
domineer1812
overgaze1816
see1829
dominate1833
rake1842
overbendc1886
1610 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes (ed. 2) 1228 The place it selfe was..impregnable..by reason that it commaunded over the Danvbie.
1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 4 The vantage ground of Truth: (a hill not to be commanded..).
1694 J. Narborough Acct. Several Late Voy. (1711) i. 109 The Guns cannot command from one Side to the other.
1769 W. Robertson Hist. Charles V III. viii. 90 Strong castles which commanded the principal defiles.
1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc viii. 600 A strong-built tower, commanding o'er the Loire.
a1842 T. Arnold Hist. Later Rom. Commonw. (1846) I. vii. 273 Steep cliffs overhanging the sea, and..commanding a small harbour.
1860 J. L. Motley Hist. Netherlands (1868) I. i. 7 The..Spanish Peninsula..commanding the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
b. To have within range of vision, look down upon or over, overlook.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > place where view obtained > have view of [verb (transitive)]
prospect1555
overview1564
overlook1632
command1697
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 83 His Head the Hills commands.
1780 W. Cowper Table Talk 581 An ell or two of prospect we command.
1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake v. 192 Commanding the rich scenes beneath, The windings of the Forth and Teith.
1873 J. Ruskin Stones of Venice (new ed.) I. Pref. to New Ed. p. vii My bedroom window commanded..a very lovely view.
c. absol.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > place where view obtained > have view [verb (intransitive)]
seec1200
prospect1555
to look out1624
command1667
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iii. 614 Undazl'd, farr and wide his [sc. the Devil's] eye commands . View more context for this quotation
1702 C. Beaumont J. Beaumont's Psyche (new ed.) ii. cxcviii. 26 A princely Castle in the mid'st commands.
1761 L. Scrafton Refl. Govt. Indostan iii. 70 A battery..which would have commanded to the Lake.
1781 W. Cowper Truth 3 Far as human optics may command.
15. To cover (with a gun, fowling-piece, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > shooting > shoot game [verb (transitive)] > to cover (with a gun)
command1669
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) xii. 252 You may command her [Pheasant] at pleasure with your Fowling-piece.
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) xii. 253 A Bird..somewhat troublesome to discover, whereby to command him by a Fowling-piece.
16. to command a suit of cards: see quot.
ΚΠ
1862 ‘Cavendish’ Princ. Whist (1870) 28 A suit is commanded..by the hand that holds a sufficient number of winning cards in it to make every trick.
1874 Mod. Hoyle 12 The ten and the nine command that suit.
17.
a. = commend v. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > care, protection, or charge > care for, protect, or have charge of [verb (transitive)] > commit to care or custody of another > specifically a person
bequeathc1225
commendc1386
recommandc1391
commanda1400
recommendc1405
remit?a1425
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous act or expression > use courteous actions or expressions to [verb (transitive)] > greet or salute > send remembrances
commanda1400
recommand1416
recommendc1430
commend1463
remember1533
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > care, protection, or charge > care for, protect, or have charge of [verb (transitive)] > commit to care or custody of another
givea1000
beteachc1000
teachc1000
betake1297
trust1340
bekena1375
commenda1382
putc1390
recommanda1393
commitc1405
recommendc1405
resignc1425
allot1473
commise1474
commanda1500
consign1528
in charge (of)1548
credit1559
incommend1574
entrusta1586
aret1590
be-giftc1590
concredit1593
betrust1619
concrede1643
subcommit1681
to farm out1786
confide1861
fide1863
doorstep1945
to foster out1960
a1400–50 Alexander 1333 Vn-to ȝoure mekill maieste my modire I comande.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 2411 Comaundez [MS reads Comaundeȝ] me to þat cortays, your comlych fere.
c1400 Melayne 298 Comande me till oure gentill kynge.
?c1445 R. Chamberlain in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 16 Right worchepfull cosyn, I comand me to you.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin viii. 130 Kynge Ban and his brother.. Comaunded theire londes in the kepynge of Leonces.
a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 2802 The knycht, the wich in to hir keping vas, Sche had commandit to hir cussynece.
b. to command to God: to commend to His keeping; cf. ‘To say adieu!’ or ‘good bye!’
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > care, protection, or charge > care for, protect, or have charge of [verb (transitive)] > commit to care or custody of another > specifically a person > to God's keeping
to command to God1483
1483 W. Caxton tr. A. Chartier Curial sig. vi To god I comande the by thys wrytyng.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iv. 72 So he hym comaunded to god, and bad hym come on the morowe.
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. x. 10 They..commaunded themselfe into the kepyng of God.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. Arthur of Brytayn (?1560) xlix. sig. Kiiv So he toke his leue of the ladye, and she commaunded hym to god.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1552v.c1330