Also 4–5 co(m)mynycacion, -oun, 5 (kom-), 6 commyni-, comunication, etc. [a. OF. co(m)municacion, ad. L. commūnicātiōn-em, n. of action f. commūnicāre to COMMUNICATE.]
1. The action of communicating or imparting: Now rare of things material, exc. as the vehicles of information: e.g., of a letter, a paper to a society, an article to a magazine, etc.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. ix. 13. Glorifiynge God … in symplenesse of comynycacioun into hem and into alle.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 960/1. The lewde communicacyon of heresies.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 69. So was there amongst them a mutuall communication of their commodities.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts, xxi. (1739), 254. This Communication of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 235. An apparent but not real communication of the disease.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 102. The mercantile [power], presiding over circulation and communication of things.
Mod. The communication of motion to a piece of mechanism, of heat to the body, etc.
2. spec. The imparting, conveying, or exchange of ideas, knowledge, information, etc. (whether by speech, writing, or signs).
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. ix. (1695), 269. To make Words serviceable to the end of Communication.
1806–31. A. Knox, Rem. (1844), I. 68. Times of severe trial have been chosen for Divine communications.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 80. He had been … in close communication with the French embassy on this subject.
1872. Ruskin, Eagle’s N., § 33. The reward which rapidity of communication now ensures to discoveries that are profitable.
3. concr. That which is communicated, or in which facts are communicated; a piece of information; a written paper containing observations.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, Prol. 3. Euery man … wyll vtter his commynycacyon and maters in suche … termes that fewe men shall vnderstonde theym.
1526. Tindale, Eph. iv. 29. Let no filthy communicacion procede out of youre mouthes.
1611. Bible, 2 Kings ix. 11. Yee know the man, and his communication.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, Advt. Those who have been pleased to favour me with Communications.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 172. Mingled with his communications on such subjects are other communications of a very different … kind.
Mod. The Royal Society has agreed to print this communication. I have read your communication to the Academy. It was pleaded that the communication was privileged.
† 4. Interchange of speech, conversation, conference. Obs.
1462. Paston Lett., No. 452, II. 102. Thomas Edmonds fell in communicacion with old Debnam.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 6. The king … hath had … many assembles and commynycacions with the King of Scottes for amyte, trewes and peas to be had.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 76 b. She … had communycacyon with the serpent.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), 1 Cor. xv. 23. Euil communications corrupt good manners (so 1611; Gr. ὁμιλίοι, Vulg. colloquia, Wyclif yuel spechis, Tindale malicious speakinges, Cranmer euel wordes, Genev. euel speakinges; Revised 1881 has ‘evil company’; the American Revisers prefer ‘evil companionships’; see 5].
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 283. In communication when mention hapned to be made of a certaine Bishop.
5. Converse, personal intercourse.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 628. Intercourse of marchandise … communication for bying and selling.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 429. Thou … Best with thy self accompanied, seek’st not Social communication.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 152. They had little knowledge or communication one with another.
† b. Sexual intercourse. Obs.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl. (1793), I. 18. I have had communication with her three times.
1792. Burke, Sk. Negro Code, Wks. IX. 300. Any European Officer … having unlawful communication with any woman Slave.
8. Access or means of access between two or more persons or places; the action or faculty of passing from one place to another; passage (between two places, vessels, or spaces).
1684. Scanderbeg Rediv., vi. 151. The Turks had there a Considerable Garrison, which might Incommode the Communication between his Troops, and the Imperialists.
1694. Child, Disc. Trade (ed. 4), 96. The City of London and Westminster, Borough of Southwark, and all other places within the usual lines of communication.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., V. I. 66. Even between distant parts of the same kingdom the communication was rare and difficult.
1871. B. Stewart, Heat, § 116. Two vessels at different temperature in communication with each other.
1880. McCarthy, Own Times, III. xxxiv. 197. They had admirable means of communication by land and sea.
b. concr. A means of communicating; a channel, line of connection, connecting passage or opening.
1715. Desaguliers, Fires Impr., 118. There must be a communication with the passage … whence the External Air comes immediately in.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 166. This lake is the communication between the Lakes Winnepeek and Bourbon, and Lake Superior.
1864. Spectator, 31 Dec., 1478. Lee’s communications through South-Western Virginia … have been cut by General Stoneman.
1879. Lubbock, Addr. Pol. & Educ., i. 5. To protect our communications with India and Australia.
† 7. Common participation. Obs.
1602. T. Fitzherb., Apol., 55 a. The cup, sayth he, which wee blesse, is it not a communication of the blood of our Lord?
1638. J. Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 929. Authors describe it [hornet] to be in colour like a Wasp … and in communication of labour like all other social winged Insects.
1765–9. Blackstone, Comm., in Stephen, Laws Eng. (1845), I. 84. Admitting them [the Welsh] to a thorough communication of laws with the subjects of England.
1771. Goldsm., Hist. Eng., IV. 128. That all the subjects of Great Britain should enjoy a communication of privileges and advantages.
† 8. Congruity, affinity, quality in common. rare.
1654. trans. Scudery’s Curia Polit., 186. The coldness of the Climate hath some communication with their Nature.
† 9. The Holy Communion; its observance. rare.
c. 1610. Women Saints, 131. If the communication of our Lords bodie was there celebrated.
1672. Cave, Prim. Chr., III. v. (1673), 376. We admit them in the Church to a right of Communication to drink of the Cup of the Bloud of Christ.
10. Rhet. (See quots.)
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 99 b. Communicacion is then used when we debate with other, and aske questions as though we loked for an answer.
1793. Beattie, Moral Sc., § 865 (L.). Communication … takes place when a speaker or writer assumes his hearer or reader as a partner in his sentiments and discourse, saying We, instead of I or Ye.
11. Freemasonry. The name of the quarterly and half-yearly conferences or assemblies of the fraternity. (Used in the first Book of Constitutions, 1723.)
1883. Manch. Exam., 22 Nov., 5/4. The Prince of Wales will be again nominated for the office of Grand Master of English Freemasons, at the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge on the 5th of December.
1888. Constit. Free & Accepted Masons, Rule 11. 21. Four Grand Lodges shall be holden in London, for quarterly communication in each year.
12. Comb., as communication-cord, a cord by which passengers in a railway train may communicate with the guard or driver; communication-valves, the valves in a steam-pipe that connects two boilers to an engine, for cutting off communication between either boiler and the engine (Weale, Dict. Terms, 1850).
