command

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To direct with authority; give orders to.
2. v. To have control or authority over; rule: a general who commands an army.
3. v. To have at one's disposal: a person who commands seven languages.
4. v. To deserve and receive as due; exact: The troops' bravery commanded respect.
5. v. To exercise dominating, authoritative influence over: "He commands any room he enters” ( Stephen Schiff).
6. v. To dominate by physical position; overlook: a mountain commanding the valley below.
7. v. To give orders.
8. v. To exercise authority or control as or as if one is a commander.
9. n. The act of commanding.
10. n. An order given with authority.
11. n. Computer Science A signal that initiates an operation defined by an instruction.
12. n. The authority to command: an admiral in command.
13. n. Possession and exercise of the authority to command: command of the seas.
14. n. Ability to control or use; mastery: command of four languages.
15. n. Dominance by location; extent of view.
16. n. The jurisdiction of a commander.
17. n. A military unit, post, district, or region under the control of one officer.
18. n. A unit of the U.S. Air Force that is larger than an air force.
19. adj. Of, relating to, or constituting a command: command headquarters; a command decision.
20. adj. Done or performed in response to a command: a command performance.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To order or direct with authority; give an order or orders to; require obedience of; lay injunction upon; order; charge: with a person as direct object.
2. Specifically To have or to exercise supreme power or authority, especially military or naval authority, over; have under direction or control; determine the actions, use, or course of: as, to command an army or a ship.
3. To require with authority; demand; order; enjoin: with a thing as direct object: as, he commanded silence.
4. To have within the range of one's (its) power or within the sphere of influence; dominate through ability, resources, position, etc., often specifically through military power or position; hence, have within the range of the eye; overlook.
5. To bestow by exercise of controlling power.
6. To exact, compel, or secure by moral influence; challenge; claim: as, a good magistrate commands the respect and affections of the people.
7. To have at one's disposal and service.
8. To intrust; commit; commend. See commend.
9. Synonyms To bid, govern, rule, control. See enjoin.
10. To act as or have the authority of a commander.
11. To exercise influence or power.
12. To be in a superior or commanding position.
13. n. The right or authority to order, control, or dispose of; the right to be obeyed or to compel obedience: as, to have command of an army.
14. n. Possession of controlling authority, force, or capacity; power of control, direction, or disposal; mastery: as, he had command of the situation; England has long held command of the sea; a good command of language.
15. n. A position of chief authority; a position involving the right or power to order or control: as, General Smith was placed in command.
16. n. The act of commanding; exercise of authority or influence.
17. n. The thing commanded or ordered; a commandment; a mandate; an order; word of command.
18. n. A body of troops, or any naval or military force, under the control of a particular officer.
19. n. Dominating situation; range of control or oversight; hence, extent of view or outlook.
20. n. In fortification, the height of the top of a parapet above the plane of its site, or above another work.
21. n. Synonyms and Sway, rule, authority.
22. n. Injunction, charge, direction, behest, bidding, requisition.
23. n. In whist and bridge, the best card of a suit, usually of one which the adversaries are trying to establish.

Wiktionary

1. n. An order, a compelling task given to an inferior or a machine.
2. n. The right or authority to order, control or dispose of; the right to be obeyed or to compel obedience.
3. n. power of control, direction or disposal; mastery.
4. n. A position of chief authority; a position involving the right or power to order or control.
5. n. The act of commanding; exercise or authority of influence.
6. n. military A body or troops, or any naval or military force, under the control of a particular officer; by extension, any object or body in someone's charge.
7. n. Dominating situation; range or control or oversight; extent of view or outlook.
8. n. computing A directive to a computer program acting as an interpreter of some kind, in order to perform a specific task.
9. n. baseball The degree of control a pitcher has over his pitches.
10. v. transitive To order, give orders; to compel or direct with authority.
11. v. transitive To have or exercise supreme power, control or authority over, especially military; to have under direction or control.
12. v. transitive To require with authority; to demand, order, enjoin.
13. v. transitive to dominate through ability, resources, position etc.; to overlook.
14. v. transitive To exact, compel or secure by my moral influence; to deserve, claim.
15. v. To hold, to control the use of

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To order with authority; to lay injunction upon; to direct; to bid; to charge.
2. v. To exercise direct authority over; to have control of; to have at one's disposal; to lead.
3. v. To have within a sphere of control, influence, access, or vision; to dominate by position; to guard; to overlook.
4. v. To have power or influence of the nature of authority over; to obtain as if by ordering; to receive as a due; to challenge; to claim.
5. v. obsolete To direct to come; to bestow.
6. v. To have or to exercise direct authority; to govern; to sway; to influence; to give an order or orders.
7. v. To have a view, as from a superior position.
8. n. An authoritative order requiring obedience; a mandate; an injunction.
9. n. The possession or exercise of authority.
10. n. Authority; power or right of control; leadership.
11. n. Power to dominate, command, or overlook by means of position; scope of vision; survey.
12. n. Control; power over something; sway; influence.
13. n. A body of troops, or any naval or military force or post, or the whole territory under the authority or control of a particular officer.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. exercise authoritative control or power over
2. n. (computer science) a line of code written as part of a computer program
3. n. a position of highest authority
4. n. an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
5. n. great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity
6. n. availability for use
7. v. demand as one's due
8. v. make someone do something
9. n. a military unit or region under the control of a single officer
10. v. be in command of
11. v. look down on
12. n. the power or authority to command