Joint a.
 1. Joined; united; combined; concerted; as, joint action.
 2. Involving the united activity of two or more; done or produced by two or more working together.
    I read this joint effusion twice over.   --T. Hook.
 3. United, joined, or sharing with another or with others; not solitary in interest or action; holding in common with an associate, or with associates; acting together; as, joint heir; joint creditor; a joint bank account; joint debtor, etc. “Joint tenants of the world.”
 4. Shared by, or affecting two or more; held in common; as, joint property; a joint bond.
    A joint burden laid upon us all.   --Shak.
 Joint committee Parliamentary Practice, a committee composed of members of the two houses of a legislative body, for the appointment of which concurrent resolutions of the two houses are necessary. --Cushing.
 Joint meeting, or Joint session, the meeting or session of two distinct bodies as one; as, a joint meeting of committees representing different corporations; a joint session of both branches of a State legislature to chose a United States senator. “Such joint meeting shall not be dissolved until the electoral votes are all counted and the result declared.” --Joint Rules of Congress, U. S.
 Joint resolution Parliamentary Practice, a resolution adopted concurrently by the two branches of a legislative body. “By the constitution of the United States and the rules of the two houses, no absolute distinction is made between bills and joint resolutions.” --Barclay (Digest).
 Joint rule Parliamentary Practice, a rule of proceeding adopted by the concurrent action of both branches of a legislative assembly. “Resolved, by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the sixteenth and seventeenth joint rules be suspended for the remainder of the session.” --Journal H. of R., U. S.
 Joint and several Law, a phrase signifying that the debt, credit, obligation, etc., to which it is applied is held in such a way that the parties in interest are engaged both together and individually thus a joint and several debt is one for which all the debtors may be sued together or either of them individually; used especially in the phrase joint and several liability.
 Joint stock, stock held in company.
 Joint-stock company Law, a species of partnership, consisting generally of a large number of members, having a capital divided, or agreed to be divided, into shares, the shares owned by any member being usually transferable without the consent of the rest.
 Joint tenancy Law, a tenure by two or more persons of estate by unity of interest, title, time, and possession, under which the survivor takes the whole. --Blackstone.
 Joint tenant Law, one who holds an estate by joint tenancy.  Contrassted with tenant in common.
 Part n.
 1. One of the portions, equal or unequal, into which anything is divided, or regarded as divided; something less than a whole; a number, quantity, mass, or the like, regarded as going to make up, with others, a larger number, quantity, mass, etc., whether actually separate or not; a piece; a fragment; a fraction; a division; a member; a constituent.
    And kept back part of the price, . . . and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles'feet.   --Acts v. 2.
    Our ideas of extension and number -- do they not contain a secret relation of the parts ?   --Locke.
    I am a part of all that I have met.   --Tennyson.
 2. Hence, specifically: (a) An equal constituent portion; one of several or many like quantities, numbers, etc., into which anything is divided, or of which it is composed; proportional division or ingredient.
    An homer is the tenth part of an ephah.   --Ex. xvi. 36.
 A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom,
 And ever three parts coward.   --Shak.
 (b) A constituent portion of a living or spiritual whole; a member; an organ; an essential element.
    All the parts were formed . . . into one harmonious body.   --Locke.
    The pulse, the glow of every part.   --Keble.
 (c) A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; -- usually in the plural with a collective sense. “Men of considerable parts.” --Burke. “Great quickness of parts.” --Macaulay.
    Which maintained so politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them.   --Shak.
 (d) Quarter; region; district; -- usually in the plural. “The uttermost part of the heaven.”  --Neh. i. 9.
    All parts resound with tumults, plaints, and fears.   --Dryden.
 (e) Math. Such portion of any quantity, as when taken a certain number of times, will exactly make that quantity; as, 3 is a part of 12; -- the opposite of multiple.  Also, a line or other element of a geometrical figure.
 3. That which belongs to one, or which is assumed by one, or which falls to one, in a division or apportionment; share; portion; lot; interest; concern; duty; office.
    We have no part in David.   --2 Sam. xx. 1.
 Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part;
 Do thou but thine.   --Milton.
 Let me bear
 My part of danger with an equal share.   --Dryden.
 4. Hence, specifically: (a) One of the opposing parties or sides in a conflict or a controversy; a faction.
    For he that is not against us is on our part.   --Mark ix. 40.
    Make whole kingdoms take her brother's part.   --Waller.
 (b) A particular character in a drama or a play; an assumed personification; also, the language, actions, and influence of a character or an actor in a play; or, figuratively, in real life; as, to play the part of Macbeth. See To act a part, under Act.
 That part
 Was aptly fitted and naturally performed.   --Shak.
    It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf.   --Shak.
 Honor and shame from no condition rise;
 Act well your part, there all the honor lies.   --Pope.
 (c) Mus. One of the different melodies of a concerted composition, which heard in union compose its harmony; also, the music for each voice or instrument; as, the treble, tenor, or bass part; the violin part, etc.
 For my part, so far as concerns me; for my share.
 For the most part. See under Most, a.
 In good part, as well done; favorably; acceptably; in a friendly manner; as, to take an act in good part. --Hooker.
 In ill part, unfavorably; with displeasure.
 In part, in some degree; partly.
 Part and parcel, an essential or constituent portion; -- a reduplicative phrase.  Cf. might and main, kith and kin, etc. “She was . . . part and parcel of the race and place.” --Howitt.
 Part of speech Gram., a sort or class of words of a particular character; thus, the noun is a part of speech denoting the name of a thing; the verb is a part of speech which asserts something of the subject of a sentence.
 Part owner Law, one of several owners or tenants in common. See Joint tenant, under Joint.
 Part singing, singing in which two or more of the harmonic parts are taken.
 Part song, a song in two or more (commonly four) distinct vocal parts. “A part song differs from a madrigal in its exclusion of contrapuntual devices; from a glee, in its being sung by many voices, instead of by one only, to each part.” --Stainer & Barrett.
 Syn: -- Portion; section; division; fraction; fragment; piece; share; constituent. See Portion, and Section.
 Com·mon a. [Compar. Commoner superl. Commonest.]
 1. Belonging or relating equally, or similarly, to more than one; as, you and I have a common interest in the property.
    Though life and sense be common to men and brutes.   --Sir M. Hale.
 2. Belonging to or shared by, affecting or serving, all the members of a class, considered together; general; public; as, properties common to all plants; the common schools; the Book of Common Prayer.
    Such actions as the common good requireth.   --Hooker.
    The common enemy of man.   --Shak.
 3. Often met with; usual; frequent; customary.
    Grief more than common grief.   --Shak.
 4. Not distinguished or exceptional; inconspicuous; ordinary; plebeian; -- often in a depreciatory sense.
    The honest, heart-felt enjoyment of common life.   --W. Irving.
 This fact was infamous
 And ill beseeming any common man,
 Much more a knight, a captain and a leader.   --Shak.
    Above the vulgar flight of common souls.   --A. Murphy.
 5. Profane; polluted. [Obs.]
    What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.   --Acts x. 15.
 6. Given to habits of lewdness; prostitute.
    A dame who herself was common.   --L'Estrange.
 Common bar Law Same as Blank bar, under Blank.
 Common barrator Law, one who makes a business of instigating litigation.
 Common Bench, a name sometimes given to the English Court of Common Pleas.
 Common brawler Law, one addicted to public brawling and quarreling. See Brawler.
 Common carrier Law, one who undertakes the office of carrying (goods or persons) for hire. Such a carrier is bound to carry in all cases when he has accommodation, and when his fixed price is tendered, and he is liable for all losses and injuries to the goods, except those which happen in consequence of the act of God, or of the enemies of the country, or of the owner of the property himself.
 Common chord Mus., a chord consisting of the fundamental tone, with its third and fifth.
 Common council, the representative (legislative) body, or the lower branch of the representative body, of a city or other municipal corporation.
 Common crier, the crier of a town or city.
 Common divisor Math., a number or quantity that divides two or more numbers or quantities without a remainder; a common measure.
 Common gender Gram., the gender comprising words that may be of either the masculine or the feminine gender.
 Common law, a system of jurisprudence developing under the guidance of the courts so as to apply a consistent and reasonable rule to each litigated case. It may be superseded by statute, but unless superseded it controls. --Wharton.
 Note: It is by others defined as the unwritten law (especially of England), the law that receives its binding force from immemorial usage and universal reception, as ascertained and expressed in the judgments of the courts. This term is often used in contradistinction from statute law. Many use it to designate a law common to the whole country. It is also used to designate the whole body of English (or other) law, as distinguished from its subdivisions, local, civil, admiralty, equity, etc. See Law.
 Common lawyer, one versed in common law.
 Common lewdness Law, the habitual performance of lewd acts in public.
 Common multiple Arith. See under Multiple.
 Common noun Gram., the name of any one of a class of objects, as distinguished from a proper noun (the name of a particular person or thing).
 Common nuisance Law, that which is deleterious to the health or comfort or sense of decency of the community at large.
 Common pleas, one of the three superior courts of common law at Westminster, presided over by a chief justice and four puisne judges. Its jurisdiction is confined to civil matters. Courts bearing this title exist in several of the United States, having, however, in some cases, both civil and criminal jurisdiction extending over the whole State. In other States the jurisdiction of the common pleas is limited to a county, and it is sometimes called a county court. Its powers are generally defined by statute.
 Common prayer, the liturgy of the Church of England, or of the Protestant Episcopal church of the United States, which all its clergy are enjoined to use. It is contained in the Book of Common Prayer.
 Common school, a school maintained at the public expense, and open to all.
 Common scold Law, a woman addicted to scolding indiscriminately, in public.
 Common seal, a seal adopted and used by a corporation.
 Common sense. (a) A supposed sense which was held to be the common bond of all the others. [Obs.] --Trench. (b) Sound judgment. See under Sense.
 Common time Mus., that variety of time in which the measure consists of two or of four equal portions.
 In common, equally with another, or with others; owned, shared, or used, in community with others; affecting or affected equally.
 Out of the common, uncommon; extraordinary.
 Tenant in common, one holding real or personal property in common with others, having distinct but undivided interests. See Joint tenant, under Joint.
 To make common cause with, to join or ally one's self with.
 Syn: -- General; public; popular; national; universal; frequent; ordinary; customary; usual; familiar; habitual; vulgar; mean; trite; stale; threadbare; commonplace. See Mutual, Ordinary, General.