commonable

[ kom-uh-nuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. held jointly; for general use; public:

   commonable lands.

2. allowed to be pastured on common land:

   commonable cattle.

commonable

/ ˈkɒmənəbəl /

adjective

1. (of land) held in common
2. English history (esp of sheep and cattle) entitled to be pastured on common land

Word History and Origins

Origin of commonable¹

First recorded in 1610–20; common + -able

Example Sentences

In the first case, a portion of the open arable and meadow, which ought to have been commonable at a certain time, ceases to be so; in the second, the right to send cattle to the waste is stinted in so much as the arable is put under defence, or the land is used for the construction of dwellings.

From Project Gutenberg

It may admit a greater number and other kinds of beasts than those which were held commonable in the usual course of manorial husbandry.

From Project Gutenberg

But it is impossible to suppose, in the light of the Bampton instance, that meetings might not sometimes exist in such divided villages which took into their hands the management of the many economic questions arising out of common husbandry: questions about hedges, rotation of crops, commonable animals, usage as to wood, moor, pasture, and so forth.

From Project Gutenberg

The stealing of any cattle, whether commonable or not commonable, seems to be embraced by these general words, "any other cattle," yet they were looked upon as too loose to create a capital offence.

From Project Gutenberg

The Forest became one of the commonable lands of Royal Chases or hunting-grounds.

From Project Gutenberg