The oxford English dictionary says that "communicate"means "to have a common door with".What does it mean?

Question

The oxford English dictionary says that "communicate"means "to have a common door with".What does it mean?

Answer 1

Do you have a source for this? My OED (granted it's not the new edition) has nothing like this.

The root meaning of "communicate" is seen in the related words "common" and "communion". It''s first reference is to SHARING something with another. Nothing to do with "doors".

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Another thing to be aware of

If what you are referring to is the HISTORY or ETYMOLOGY of the word, you must be very careful. Words change their meaning over time, and it is not accurate to say that a word you are using "means" something it may have meant centuries ago if it is no longer used that way.

For example, the word "nice" comes from Latin for "ignorant". When the word was first borrowed into English you might have used it that way. But it does NOT mean that now, and it would be a mistake to say it does.

In the same way, even if you found some evidence that "communicate" came from a word or expression meaning "have a common door with", this does NOT mean that you are saying ANYTHING about doors if you use the word today!

Now it IS true that you can learn some interesting and helpful things about life and society in the past from older/original meanings of words. But my point is that you cannot simply act as if the words STILL mean these things.

(The mistake I've been describing, of saying that the meaning of a word today is equivalent to some earlier or 'original' use, is a form of what is called the "genetic fallacy" logic. It can lead to some absurd results that have NOTHING at all to do with how language works... and is something you want to avoid.)

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Are you kidding us ?? I'm not English mother tongue but I feel explanation is crystal clear. Why are you looking for an interpretation of it ? Let's sayf you are in a room and I'm in another one,separate from yours,but there is a door to enter from one room to another one we can say they're "in communication" and hence they"communicate".
However, as Oxford dictionary reads, "communicate" has also other meanings:
To communicate = 1 - share or exchange information or ideas. 2 - pass on, transmit, or convey (an emotion, disease, heat, etc.). 3- receive Holy Communion.

Edit # 1
Here's the link to the Oxford dictionary requested by below answerer and speaking about "communicating doors...!!"
http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dev_dict&field-12668446=communicate&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact&sortorder=score%2Cname