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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Commenced

Commence \Com*mence"\ (k[o^]m*m[e^]ns"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Commenced (k[o^]m*m[e^]nst"); p. pr. & vb. n. Commencing.] [F. commencer, OF. comencier, fr. L. com- + initiare to begin. See Initiate.]

  1. To have a beginning or origin; to originate; to start; to begin.

    Here the anthem doth commence.
    --Shak.

    His heaven commences ere the world be past.
    --Goldsmith.

  2. To begin to be, or to act as. [Archaic]

    We commence judges ourselves.
    --Coleridge.

  3. To take a degree at a university. [Eng.]

    I question whether the formality of commencing was used in that age.
    --Fuller.

Wiktionary
commenced

vb. (en-past of: commence)

Usage examples of "commenced".

The clerk glanced at them, looked puzzled, but, receiving no encouragement from Narby, commenced to read: "Petition, to Council and Captain: Lieutenant Braune, administrator of the village of Sector 9, being of frail health and advanced age, prays that he be relieved of all duty and retired.

In a moment the reports of the surface observers commenced to trickle in.

The initial weightlessness when coasting commenced had knotted the old man with the characteristic nausea of free flight, and the pilot wished to save his passenger as much discomfort as possible.

He commenced to speak at once, turning to Lentz, who was nearer to him than King.

He commenced talking at once, oblivious to the superintendent's morose preoccupation.

He understood this when Blackie told him to reload the tortoise with the items from that pile, and commenced himself to carry goods from the other pile into the building.

Here's what you will have to do-' He tore off another piece of paper and commenced sketching and explaining.

The oil burned slightly as Leon added droplets of it generously, and then those strong fingers commenced to work the flesh, with no regard for its redness.

And when I lay down and refused to obey, she only laughed at this, and commenced her work with the paddle.

But I am a man, so in a matter of days my passion commenced to build, to show itself.

But as I became more and more desperately bored in my hours of solitude, I commenced to look upon it as an interlude.

Well, soon, in spite of myself and my rage, I commenced to show my excitement whenever the Queen came into the chamber.

I wished only that the stable boy would come again soon, and I was drowsy and afraid when all the cooks and kitchen boys returned and commenced their inevitable idle sport with me.

She picked up the paddle again quickly enough, pressed me down again on her lap, and commenced the loud and forceful spanking.

I would be made to run the gauntlet and the Prince whose paddle pleased her the most, that is, the one whose paddle struck me the hardest and fiercest, would then be rewarded before I again commenced the gauntlet and so on.