Definition of "commissary" [com•mis•sa•ry]

• A supermarket for military personnel and their dependents, usually located on a military installation. (noun)
• A store where food and equipment are sold, as in a mining camp. (noun)
• A lunchroom or cafeteria, especially one in a film or television studio. (noun)
• A person to whom a special duty is given by a higher authority; a deputy. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He presumed the boat had served to provision the fort from the main Spanish commissary in Fort Niebla, but now it would help Cochrane complete his victory."
• "Yes, there is a small gift shop -- make that "commissary" -- where people can buy T-shirts and the like, and visitors can drop off letters that will get a South Pole postmark."
• "Yes, there is a small gift shop - make that, "commissary" - where people can buy T-shirts and the like, and visitors can drop off letters that will get a South Pole postmark."