Definition: order

Search dictionary for

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

order
     n 1: (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a
          military or law enforcement officer) that must be
          obeyed; "the British ships dropped anchor and waited for
          orders from London"
     2: a degree in a continuum of size or quantity; "it was on the
        order of a mile"; "an explosion of a low order of
        magnitude" [syn: order of magnitude]
     3: established customary state (especially of society); "order
        ruled in the streets"; "law and order" [ant: disorder]
     4: logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements;
        "we shall consider these questions in the inverse order of
        their presentation" [syn: ordering]
     5: a condition of regular or proper arrangement: "he put his
        desk in order"; "the machine is now in working order"
        [syn: orderliness] [ant: disorderliness, disorderliness]
     6: a legally binding command or decision entered on the court
        record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in
        New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out
        there" [syn: decree, edict, fiat, rescript]
     7: a commercial document used to request someone to supply
        something in return for payment; "IBM received an order
        for a hundred computers" [syn: purchase order]
     8: a formal association of people with similar interests; "he
        joined a golf club"; "they formed a small lunch society";
        "men from the fraternal order will staff the soup kitchen
        today" [syn: club, society, guild, gild, lodge]
     9: a body of rules followed by an assembly [syn: rules of
        order, parliamentary law, parliamentary procedure]
     10: (biology) taxonomic group containing one or more families
     11: a request for food or refreshment (as served in a restaurant
         or bar etc.); "I gave the waiter my order"
     12: putting in order; "there were mistakes in the ordering of
         items on the list" [syn: ordering]
     v 1: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something; "I
          said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the
          shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"
          [syn: tell, enjoin, say]
     2: make a request for something; "Order me some flowers";
        "order a work stoppage"
     3: issue commands or orders for [syn: prescribe, dictate]
     4: impose regulations on [syn: regulate, regularize, govern]
        [ant: deregulate]
     5: bring order to or into; "Order these files" [ant: disorder]
     6: place in a certain order; "order these files"
     7: of clerical posts; "he was ordained in the Church" [syn: ordain,
         consecrate]
     8: arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events, etc.; "arrange my
        schedule;" "set up one's life"; "I put these memories with
        those of bygone times" [syn: arrange, set up, put]
     9: assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these
        students?" [syn: rate, rank, range, grade, place]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Series \Se"ries\, n.
   1. (Bot.) In Engler's system of plant classification, a group
      of families showing certain structural or morphological
      relationships. It corresponds to the cohort of some
      writers, and to the order of many modern systematists.

   2. (Elec.) A mode of arranging the separate parts of a
      circuit by connecting them successively end to end to form
      a single path for the current; -- opposed to parallel.
      The parts so arranged are said to be

   in series.

   3. (Com.) A parcel of rough diamonds of assorted qualities.
Order \Or"der\, n. [OE. ordre, F. ordre, fr. L. ordo, ordinis.
   Cf. Ordain, Ordinal.]
   1. Regular arrangement; any methodical or established
      succession or harmonious relation; method; system; as:
      (a) Of material things, like the books in a library.
      (b) Of intellectual notions or ideas, like the topics of a
          discource.
      (c) Of periods of time or occurrences, and the like.

                The side chambers were . . . thirty in order.
                                                  --Ezek. xli.
                                                  6.

                Bright-harnessed angels sit in order
                serviceable.                      --Milton.

                Good order is the foundation of all good things.
                                                  --Burke.

   2. Right arrangement; a normal, correct, or fit condition;
      as, the house is in order; the machinery is out of order.
      --Locke.

   3. The customary mode of procedure; established system, as in
      the conduct of debates or the transaction of business;
      usage; custom; fashion. --Dantiel.

            And, pregnant with his grander thought, Brought the
            old order into doubt.                 --Emerson.

   4. Conformity with law or decorum; freedom from disturbance;
      general tranquillity; public quiet; as, to preserve order
      in a community or an assembly.

   5. That which prescribes a method of procedure; a rule or
      regulation made by competent authority; as, the rules and
      orders of the senate.

            The church hath authority to establish that for an
            order at one time which at another time it may
            abolish.                              --Hooker.

   6. A command; a mandate; a precept; a direction.

            Upon this new fright, an order was made by both
            houses for disarming all the papists in England.
                                                  --Clarendon.

   7. Hence: A commission to purchase, sell, or supply goods; a
      direction, in writing, to pay money, to furnish supplies,
      to admit to a building, a place of entertainment, or the
      like; as, orders for blankets are large.

            In those days were pit orders -- beshrew the
            uncomfortable manager who abolished them. --Lamb.

   8. A number of things or persons arranged in a fixed or
      suitable place, or relative position; a rank; a row; a
      grade; especially, a rank or class in society; a group or
      division of men in the same social or other position;
      also, a distinct character, kind, or sort; as, the higher
      or lower orders of society; talent of a high order.

            They are in equal order to their several ends.
                                                  --Jer. Taylor.

            Various orders various ensigns bear.  --Granville.

            Which, to his order of mind, must have seemed little
            short of crime.                       --Hawthorne.
Order \Or"der\, v. i.
   To give orders; to issue commands.
Order \Or"der\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ordered; p pr. & vb. n.
   Ordering.] [From Order, n.]
   1. To put in order; to reduce to a methodical arrangement; to
      arrange in a series, or with reference to an end. Hence,
      to regulate; to dispose; to direct; to rule.

            To him that ordereth his conversation aright. --Ps.
                                                  1. 23.

            Warriors old with ordered spear and shield.
                                                  --Milton.

   2. To give an order to; to command; as, to order troops to
      advance.

   3. To give an order for; to secure by an order; as, to order
      a carriage; to order groceries.

   4. (Eccl.) To admit to holy orders; to ordain; to receive
      into the ranks of the ministry.

            These ordered folk be especially titled to God.
                                                  --Chaucer.

            Persons presented to be ordered deacons. --Bk. of
                                                  Com. Prayer.

   Order arms (Mil.), the command at which a rifle is brought
      to a position with its but resting on the ground; also,
      the position taken at such a command.

   Note: In modern law, proposal and acceptance are the
         constituent elements into which all contracts are
         resolved.

   Acceptance of a bill of exchange, check, draft, or
   order, is an engagement to pay it according to the terms.
      This engagement is usually made by writing the word
      ``accepted'' across the face of the bill.

   Acceptance of goods, under the statute of frauds, is an
      intelligent acceptance by a party knowing the nature of
      the transaction.

   6. Meaning; acceptation. [Obs.]

   Acceptance of persons, partiality, favoritism. See under
      Accept.