What is "doctors' commons"

doctor \doc"tor\, n. [OF. doctur, L. doctor, teacher, fr. docere to teach. See Docile.]

1. A teacher; one skilled in a profession, or branch of knowledge; a learned man. [Obs.]

   One of the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Macciavel. -- Bacon.

2. An academical title, originally meaning a man so well versed in his department as to be qualified to teach it. Hence: One who has taken the highest degree conferred by a university or college, or has received a diploma of the highest degree; as, a doctor of divinity, of law, of medicine, of music, or of philosophy. Such diplomas may confer an honorary title only.

3. One duly licensed to practice medicine; a member of the medical profession; a physician.

   By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death Will seize the doctor too. -- Shak.

4. Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty or serve some purpose in an exigency; as, the doctor of a calico-printing machine, which is a knife to remove superfluous coloring matter; the doctor, or auxiliary engine, called also donkey engine.

5. (Zo["o]l.) The friar skate. [Prov. Eng.]

   Doctors' Commons. See under Commons.

   Doctor's stuff, physic, medicine.
   --G. Eliot.

   Doctor fish (Zo["o]l.), any fish of the genus Acanthurus; the surgeon fish; -- so called from a sharp lancetlike spine on each side of the tail. Also called barber fish. See Surgeon fish.

Commons \Com"mons\, n. pl.,

1. The mass of the people, as distinguished from the titled classes or nobility; the commonalty; the common people.

   'T is like the commons, rude unpolished hinds, Could send such message to their sovereign.
   --Shak.

   The word commons in its present ordinary signification comprises all the people who are under the rank of peers.
   --Blackstone.

2. The House of Commons, or lower house of the British Parliament, consisting of representatives elected by the qualified voters of counties, boroughs, and universities.

   It is agreed that the Commons were no part of the great council till some ages after the Conquest.
   --Hume.

3. Provisions; food; fare, -- as that provided at a common table in colleges and universities.

   Their commons, though but coarse, were nothing scant.
   --Dryden.

4. A club or association for boarding at a common table, as in a college, the members sharing the expenses equally; as, to board in commons.

5. A common; public pasture ground.

   To shake his ears, and graze in commons.
   --Shak.

   Doctors' Commons, a place near St. Paul's Churchyard in London where the doctors of civil law used to common together, and where were the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts and offices having jurisdiction of marriage licenses, divorces, registration of wills, etc.

   To be on short commons, to have a small allowance of food.

Doctors' Commons, also called the College of Civilians, was a society of lawyers practising civil law in London. Like the Inns of Court of the common lawyers, the society had buildings with rooms where its members lived and worked, and a large library. Court proceedings of the civil law courts were also held in Doctors' Commons. The society also used St Benet's, Paul's Wharf as its church.