Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Comment

Com′ment

(?; 277)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Commented
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Commenting
.]
[F.
commenter
, L.
commentari
to meditate upon, explain, v. intens. of
comminisci
,
commentus
, to reflect upon, invent;
com-
+ the root of
meminisse
to remember,
mens
mind. See
Mind
.]
To make remarks, observations, or criticism; especially, to write notes on the works of an author, with a view to illustrate his meaning, or to explain particular passages; to write annotations; – often followed by on or upon.
A physician to
comment
on your malady.
Shakespeare
Critics . . . proceed to
comment
on him.
Dryden.
I must translate and
comment
.
Pope.

Com′ment

,
Verb.
T.
To comment on.
[Archaic.]
Fuller.

Com′ment

,
Noun.
[Cf. OF.
comment
.]
1.
A remark, observation, or criticism; gossip; discourse; talk.
Their lavish
comment
when her name was named.
Tennyson.
2.
A note or observation intended to explain, illustrate, or criticise the meaning of a writing, book, etc.; explanation; annotation; exposition.
All the volumes of philosophy,
With all their
comments
.
Prior.

Webster 1828 Edition


Comment

COMMENT

, v.i.
1.
To write notes on the works of an author, with a view to illustrate his meaning, or to explain particular passages; to explain; to expound; to annotate; followed by on. We say, to comment on an author or on his writings.
2.
To make verbal remarks, or observations, either on a book, or writing, or on actions, events or opinions.

COMMENT

, v.t.
1.
To explain
2.
To feign; to devise.

COMMENT

,
Noun.
1.
A note, intended to illustrate a writing, or a difficult passage in an author; annotation; explanation; exposition; as the comments of Scott on the Scriptures.
2.
That which explains or illustrates; as, a mans conduct is the best comment on his declarations. Poverty and disgrace are very significant comments on lewdness, gambling and dissipation.
3.
Remark; observation.
In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offense should bear its comment.

Definition 2024


comment

comment

English

Noun

comment (plural comments)

  1. A spoken remark.
    I have no comment on that.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter IX”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action.
  2. (programming) A remark in source code which does not affect the behavior of the program.

Translations

See also

Verb

comment (third-person singular simple present comments, present participle commenting, simple past and past participle commented)

  1. (transitive) To remark.
    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 29686887 , chapter IV:
      “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
    • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:
      "A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there. []."
    • 2003 July 5, Pierre Salinger, ABC News, “Analysis: Top film choices”, in NPR_Saturday:
      I think Mamet always comments that commerce really comes down to just a confidence game
    • 2009 Winter, John M. Kang, “Manliness and the Constitution”, in Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, volume 32, number 1, page 261:
      As Cambridge historian Mervyn James commented, "silly quarrels escalated into battles in the streets."
  2. (intransitive, with "on" or "about") To make remarks or notes.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To comment or remark on.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Fuller to this entry?)
  4. (transitive, software) To insert comments into (source code).
    I wish I'd commented this complicated algorithm back when I remembered how it worked.
  5. (transitive, software) To comment out (code); to disable by converting into a comment.

Derived terms

Translations


French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔ.mɑ̃/
  • Rhymes: -ɑ̃

Etymology

comme + -ment[1]

Adverb

comment

  1. how
    Comment te sens-tu ? - How do you feel?

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Louisiana Creole French: konmen

References

  1. Picoche, Jacqueline; Jean-Claude Rolland (2009), muid I 4”, in Dictionnaire étymologique du français (in French), Paris: Dictionnaires Le Robert

Middle French

Alternative forms

  • cõment

Adverb

comment

  1. how (in a given manner)
  2. (interrogative) how (in what manner)

Old French

Adverb

comment

  1. Alternative form of comant

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowing from English comment.

Noun

comment m (plural comments)

  1. (Internet slang) comment, remark

Synonyms