Meanings
nounshort commons pl (plural only)
- figurativelypluralplural onlysometimesMeagre rations.
Kitty, the cook, who took life 'aisy', kept him on short commons.
1868–1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little Women: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC1 more example
The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons.
1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Oliver Twist; […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC
Cite this entry
APA
short commons. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20commons
MLA
“short commons.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20commons. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “short commons,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20commons.
Source: short commons on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.