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commute

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commute

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Commute  \Com*mute"\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Commuted};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Commuting}.]  [L.  commutare,  -mutatum;  com-  +  mutare 
  to  change.  See  {Mutation}.] 
  To  exchange;  to  put  or  substitute  something  else  in  place  of 
  as  a  smaller  penalty,  obligation,  or  payment,  for  a  greater, 
  or  a  single  thing  for  an  aggregate;  hence  to  lessen;  to 
  diminish;  as  to  commute  a  sentence  of  death  to  one  of 
  imprisonment  for  life;  to  commute  tithes;  to  commute  charges 
  for  fares. 
 
  The  sounds  water  and  fire,  being  once  annexed  to  those 
  two  elements,  it  was  certainly  more  natural  to  call 
  beings  participating  of  the  first  ``watery'',  and  the 
  last  ``fiery'',  than  to  commute  the  terms,  and  call 
  them  by  the  reverse.  --J.  Harris 
 
  The  utmost  that  could  be  obtained  was  that  her  sentence 
  should  be  commuted  from  burning  to  beheading. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Commute  \Com*mute"\,  v.  i. 
  1.  To  obtain  or  bargain  for  exemption  or  substitution;  to 
  effect  a  commutation. 
 
  He  .  .  .  thinks  it  unlawful  to  commute,  and  that  he 
  is  bound  to  pay  his  vow  in  kind  --Jer.  Taylor. 
 
  2.  To  pay  or  arrange  to  pay  in  gross  instead  of  part  by 
  part  as  to  commute  for  a  year's  travel  over  a  route. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  commute 
  v  1:  transpose  and  remain  equal  in  value;  of  variables  or 
  operators,  in  mathematics;  "These  operators  commute  with 
  each  other"  [syn:  {transpose}] 
  2:  travel  back  and  forth  regularly,  as  between  one's  place  of 
  work  and  home  [syn:  {travel  back  and  forth}] 
  3:  change  the  order  or  arrangement  of  "Dyslexics  often 
  transpose  letters  in  a  word"  [syn:  {permute},  {transpose}] 
  4:  exchange  a  penalty  for  a  less  severe  one  [syn:  {convert},  {exchange}] 
  5:  exchange  or  replace  with  another,  usually  of  the  same  kind 
  or  category;  "Could  you  convert  my  dollars  into  pounds?" 
  "He  changed  his  name"  [syn:  {change},  {exchange},  {convert}]




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