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One to whom is committed some charge, duty, or office, by a superior power; a commissioner. Great Destiny, the Commissary of God. Donne.

The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons; a trust; a charge.

reflexively; as, to commit one's self to a certain course. You might have satisfied every duty of political friendship, without commiting the honor of your sovereign. Junius. Any sudden assent to the proposal . . . might possibly be considered as committing the faith of the United States. Marshall.

A controller; a public officer whose duty it is to examine certify accounts.

or implied, by a husband of his wife or by a wife of her husband, for a breach of marital duty, as adultery, with an implied condition that the offense shall not be repeated. Bouvier. Wharton.

The act or state of suffering persecution for religious faith. Our duty to contend even to confessorship. J. H. Newman.

The estimate or determination of conscience; conviction or right or duty. Conscience supposes the existence of some such [i.e., moral] faculty, and properly signifies our consciousness of having acted agreeably or contrary to its directions. Adam Smith.

A duty or tax paid by merchants for the protection of their connerce by means of a consul in a foreign place.

Illegal or prohobited traffic. Persons the most bound in duty to prevent contraband, and the most interested in the seizures. Burke.

Forward on all vessels on convoy duty.

An officer of the peace whose principal duty is to inquire, with the help of a jury, into the cause of any violent, sudden or mysterious death, or death in prison, usually on sight of the body and at the place where the death occurred. [In England formerly also written and pronounced crowner.]

tinels. Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a very small number of persons. -- Lance corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay. Farrow. -- Ship's corporal (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties.…

To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty; as, to corrupt a judge by a bribe. Heaven is above all yet; there sits a Judge That no king can corrupt. Shak.

or befriending, a counter revolution. -- Counter round (Mil.), a body of officers whose duty it is to visit and inspect the rounds and sentinels. -- Counter sea (Naut.), a sea running in an opposite direction from the wind. -- Counter sense, opposite meaning. -- Counter signal, a signal to answer or correspond to…

The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn. He appointed . . . the courses of the priests 2 Chron. viii. 14.

the court generally, supplied to the newspapers by an officer specially charged with such duty. [Eng.] Edwards. -- Court day, a day on which a court sits to administer justice. -- Court dress, the dress prescribed for appearance at the court of a sovereign. -- Court fool, a buffoon or jester, formerly kept by prince…

Created; composed; begotte. [Obs.] Hearts create of duty and zeal. Shak.

A thing to be believed; an article of faith; -- distinguished from agendum, a practical duty. The great articles and credenda of Christianity. South.

Any violation of law, either divine or human; an omission of a duty commanded, or the commission of an act forbidden by law.

ishonest; fraudulent; as, crooked dealings. Crooked whisky, whisky on wich the paiment of duty has been fraudulently evaded. [Slang, U.S.] Barlett.