Com"mis*sa*ry (?), n.; pl. Commissaries (#). [LL. commissarius, fr. L. commissus, p. p. of committere to commit, intrust to. See Commit.]
1.
One to whom is committed some charge, duty, or office, by a superior power; a commissioner.
Great Destiny, the Commissary of God.
Donne.
2. Eccl.
An officer on the bishop, who exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction in parts of the diocese at a distance from the residence of the bishop.
Ayliffe.
3. Mil. (a)
An officer having charge of a special sevice; as, the commissary of musters.
(b)
An officer whose business is to provide food for a body of troops or a military post; -- officially called commissary of subsistence.
[U. S.]
Washington wrote to the President of Congress . . . urging the appointment of a commissary general, a quartermaster general, a commissary of musters, and a commissary of artillery.
W. Irving
Commissary general, an officer in charge of some special department of army service; as: (a) The officer in charge of the commissariat and transport department, or of the ordinace store department. [Eng.] (b) The commissary general of subsistence. [U. S.] -- Commissary general of subsistence Mil. U. S., the head of the subsistence department, who has charge of the purchase and issue of provisions for the army.
© Webster 1913.