miss-, -miss, -mis-, -mit, -mitt-

1. To pledge devotion or dedication to someone or something: "He wasn't yet ready to commit to the relationship."
2. To devote or pledge something; such as, time or money to an undertaking.
3. To do something wrong or illegal: "He was caught committing a felony."
4. To entrust something or someone to another person for protection>
5. To consign or record something in order to preserve it; "He committed the names to memory."
6. To give something over for destruction or disposal.
7. To confine someone legally to an institution; such as, a prison or mental health facility.
8. To refer a bill to a legislative committee for review.
9. Etymology: from about 1390, it came from Latin committere, "to bring together"; from com-, "together" + mittere, "to put, to send".

1. The act or an instance of committing; especially, the act of referring a legislative bill to committee.
2. An official consignment, as to a prison or mental health facility.
3. A court order authorizing consignment to a prison.
4. A pledge to do something pledged; especially, an engagement by contract involving financial obligation.
5. The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons; such as, a profound commitment to the family.

1. Someone who is bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude.
2. A person who is associated in an exclusive sexual relationship.
3. To pledge or to engage oneself in a relationship or in a commitment with someone or with others.

A nuclear dose that accounts for continuing exposures over long periods of time; such as, 30, 50, or 70 years.

1. A group of people officially delegated to perform a function; such as, investigating, considering, reporting, report on, or act upon a particular matter.
2. A group of people appointed or chosen to perform a function on behalf of a larger group.
3. In law, an individual to whom the care of a person or a person's estate is committed.
4. Etymology: from 1621, revival of Anglo-Frrench commite, past participle of commettre, "to commit"; from Latin committere, "to bring together"; from com-, "together" + mittere, "to put, to send".

Originally, "a person to whom something is committed" (1495); and then extended in the 17th century to mean "a body of such people".

1. Two or more sides agree to accept less than they originally wanted: "After hours of negotiations a compromise was reached."
2. Something that someone accepts because what was wanted is unattainable.
3. Exposure to danger or disgrace.

1. Death; the end of existence or activity; termination: "The demise of the streetcar."
2. In law, the transfer of an estate by lease or will.
3. The transfer of a ruler's authority by death or abdication.
4. Etymology: from about 1442, from Middle French (c.1400 to c.1600) demise, past participle of demettre, "to dismiss, to put away"; from des-, "away" (from Latin dis-) + Middle French mettre "to put"; from Latin mittere "to let go, to send".

It originally meant "the transfer of an estate by [means of a] will"; and the meaning was extended in 1754 to "death" because that's when the transfer happened.

The demise of "Dear"

Here is a change in common usage that offers a linguistic clue to a cultural change which has resulted from electronic mail (e-mail) usage.

This presentation is about the threatened abandonment of the symbolic embrace inherent in an old Teutonic word: Dear! The application of "Dear" came into existence about a thousand years ago meaning "honorable, worthy", and then it took on the sense of "esteemed, valued" and ultimately "beloved", gaining a sense of "high-priced" along the way.

Back in the time of the "quill pen", the word was used as a polite form of address in introducing a message to a friend or to a stranger and establishing status to a superior, an employee, or an equal.

Now, in the age of instant messaging and e-mail, the compressors of personal communication have been doing away with the word traditionally used in salutation. Instead of using Dear, the e-generation often starts off either with no greeting, the first name, Hello Name, Hi Name, etc.

Apparently, the internet is now considered to be an informal means of communication and so it is no longer necessary to use a particular form of greeting; as long as it isn't replaced with some form of rudeness.

1. The act of demitting; also, a letter, certificate, or the like, certifying that a person has (honorably) demitted.
2. To give up or to relinquish an office, membership, authority, or the like; to resign.
3. To lay down, as an office; to resign.
4. To let fall; to depress.
5. To yield or submit; to humble; to lower; as, to demit one's self to humble duties.

1. To end the employment or service of; to discharge.
2. To direct or allow to leave; such as, "The captain dismissed troops after the inspection"; "The principal dismissed the student after reprimanding him."
3. To stop considering something; to rid one's mind of; to dispel: "She dismissed all thoughts of running for office."
4. To refuse to accept or recognize; to reject: "Mary dismissed the claim as highly improbable."
5. In law, to put (a claim or action) out of court without further hearing.
6. In sports, to eject (a player or coach) for the remainder of a game.

To dismiss a servant is to send him away.

1. An act or instance of dismissing.
2. The state of being dismissed.
3. A spoken or written order of discharge from employment, service, enrollment, etc.