common
adjective (common, commoner or more common, commonest or most common); noun (common, commons — a public field)
Everyday
- Common means happening often or found in many places: a common cold, a common bird. tree →
- Common means shared by two or more: a common factor, common interests. tree →
- Common means ordinary, not special: the common people. tree →
- A common is an open grassy area in a town that everyone can use. tree →
In the lessons
In maths: shared by two numbers or groups (common factor, common multiple, common denominator); «most common» asks for the value seen most often (the mode). In science: the common cold, common birds and plants. In everyday talk: common sense, in common. Phrases: in common, common sense, common factor, common multiple, common denominator, common knowledge, most common.
Examples
- Find a common factor of 12 and 18. tree →
- What is the most common number of pets? tree →
- 4 is a common multiple of 2 and 4. tree →
- They have 5 friends in common. tree →
- Sparrows are common birds in towns. tree →
- The common cold makes you sneeze and cough. tree →
- Use your common sense and wear a coat. tree →
- The two fractions need a common denominator. tree →
- We flew kites on the village common. tree →
Note
Opposite: rare, uncommon. «Common» means shared by both. «Most common» asks for the value seen most often. Trap: a «common» bird is not a «bad» one; it just means there are many.
In Jewish tradition
In the Torah, common means ordinary and not holy. Common things may be used by anyone, unlike holy things set apart for God and the priests. In the Prophets and Writings it can also mean shared ("in common") or ordinary ("common script").
Interpretation. Tradition teaches that Jews must tell holy from common, as in Havdalah, the ceremony that ends Shabbat. Only priests and their households could eat the holy offerings. Ezekiel says the priests must teach the people this difference.
Examples
- And that ye may put difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; (Torah LEV.10.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- And if a priest's daughter be married unto a common man, she shall not eat of that which is set apart from the holy things. (Torah LEV.22.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- There shall no common man eat of the holy thing; a tenant of a priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. (Torah LEV.22.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than in a house in common with a contentious woman. (Writings PRO.21.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the LORD said unto me: 'Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it in common script: The spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth; (Prophets ISA.8.1, JPS 1917) tree →
- And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (Prophets EZK.44.23, JPS 1917) tree →
Note
Opposite: rare, uncommon. «Common» means shared by both. «Most common» asks for the value seen most often. Trap: a «common» bird is not a «bad» one; it just means there are many.
On Mova
- Trees and pragmatics of «common» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «common» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
- Trees and pragmatics of «common» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «common» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/common/