out of commission
Not in working order, unable to function. For example, The drawbridge is out of commission so we'll have to take the tunnel. This idiom originally referred to a ship that was laid up for repairs or held in reserve. Similarly, the antonym, in commission, referred to a ship armed and ready for action. The latter term is also used in more general contexts today, as in My car's back in commission now, so we can drive to the theater. [Late 1800s]
QUIZZES
THE OCTOBER WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS HERE TO HAUNT YOU
Search your capacious memory for the meaning of October’s words!
Question 1 of 9
Which Word of the Day from this month means, “an irrational dislike; loathing”?
Words nearby out of commission
out-of-bounds, out of breath, out of business, out of character, out of circulation, out of commission, out of condition, out of control, out-of-court, out-of-date, out-of-door
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.