Commissaries

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Commissary \Com"mis*sa*ry\, n.; pl. {Commissaries}. [LL.
     commissarius, fr. L. commissus, p. p. of committere to
     commit, intrust to. See {Commit}.]
     1. One to whom is committed some charge, duty, or office, by
        a superior power; a commissioner.
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              Great Destiny, the Commissary of God. --Donne.
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     2. (Eccl.) An officer of the bishop, who exercises
        ecclesiastical jurisdiction in parts of the diocese at a
        distance from the residence of the bishop. --Ayliffe.
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     3. (Mil.)
        (a) An officer having charge of a special service; as, the
            commissary of musters.
        (b) An officer whose business is to provide food for a
            body of troops or a military post; -- officially
            called {commissary of subsistence}. [U. S.]
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                  Washington wrote to the President of Congress .
                  . . urging the appointment of a commissary
                  general, a quartermaster general, a commissary
                  of musters, and a commissary of artillery. --W.
                                                    Irving
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     {Commissary general}, an officer in charge of some special
        department of army service; as:
        (a) The officer in charge of the commissariat and
            transport department, or of the ordnance store
            department. [Eng.]
        (b) The commissary general of subsistence. [U. S.]
  
     {Commissary general of subsistence} (Mil. U. S.), the head of
        the subsistence department, who has charge of the purchase
        and issue of provisions for the army.
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