commissary
/ˈkɒmɪs(ə)ri
/noun (plural commissaries)
1A deputy or delegate.For instance, we are trying to teach French to the new European commissaries....
- Due to either lack of course knowledge or obstinacy, the commissaries maintained the original lap count and sent the riders off to suffer for six laps and what would become a 3-hour death march.
- Clive conquered and organized Bengal for the East India Company He first went to Madras as a clerk in 1743 and by 1749 had won the lucrative appointment of military commissary.
1.1A representative or deputy of a bishop.Under the supervision of the Bishop of London, commissaries were appointed in many colonies to provide supervision and support of church life....
- The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.
- The following letter has been received by the Bishop's Commissary
2North American A restaurant or food store in a military base, prison, or other institution.The restaurants paid the commissary a price for supplies that left their food costs at 28% to 29% of revenues....
- She works the 5 to 6 o'clock shift (AM to PM that is) and is on hand everyday in the commissary and restaurants.
- I am on my way to the commissary for coffee and you haven't eaten in days.
Derivatives
commissarial
/ adjectiveOrigin
Late Middle English: from medieval Latin commissarius 'person in charge', from Latin commiss- 'joined, entrusted', from the verb committere (see commit).