a command or instruction to do something, given by someone in authority: [countable]gave orders not to be disturbed.[uncountable* by + ~]We're here to arrest you by order of the High Command.
the way or manner of arranging things to follow one after another; succession; sequence:[uncountable]words in alphabetical order.
good or harmonious arrangement:[uncountable]Can you put this room in better order?
proper, satisfactory, or working condition:[uncountable]got the motorcycle in working order again.
agreement with or obedience to law, regulations, or established authority:[uncountable]to keep order in the classroom.
established and correct practice:[uncountable]parliamentary rules of order.
the current or established arrangement:[countable]The old world order is changing.
a direction or request to make, provide, send, or give someone something:[countable]sent in an order for shirts.
[count] an amount of goods or items purchased or sold:Your order hasn't been delivered yet.
a portion of food requested or served in a restaurant:[countable]an order of french fries.
a class, kind, or sort distinguished from others by character or rank:[countable]talents of a high order.
Biology[countable] a major subdivision of a class or subclass in a classification of living things, made up of one or more families.
a group, body of persons, or organization of the same profession, occupation, or interests:[countable* sometimes: Order]the Order of the Garter.
Religion a body or society of persons who agree to live under the same religious, moral, or social regulations, such as a society in a monastery:[countable]the Franciscan order of monks.
a written direction to pay money or deliver goods:[countable]a money order.
Religionorders, [plural] the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.
a special honor or rank given by a king, queen, or other ruler to a person for distinguished achievement.
the insignia worn by such a person.
v.
to give an order or command to: [~ + object + to + verb]She ordered them to leave at once.[used with quotations]"Sit down at once!'' he ordered.[~ + object]She ordered them out of her house.
to direct (someone or something) to be made, done, brought, obtained, etc.: [~ + object]to order a copy of a book.[~ + object + to + verb]She ordered them to investigate.[~ + object + verb-ed/-en]She ordered the flags flown at half mast.[no object]"Are you ready to order?'' the waiter asked.[~ + object + object]He ordered us a delicious dinner.
[~ + object] to give an order or command to:The teacher ordered the children to be quiet.
to arrange in a suitable way:[~ + object]to order one's work day.
order around or about, [~ + object + around/about] to give orders to (someone) in an unpleasant, rude, or bossy way.
Idioms
Idiomsa tall or large order, a difficult or nearly impossible task.
Idiomscall to order, [call + object + to + ~] to begin (a meeting):They called the meeting to order.
Idiomsin order:
right and proper; appropriate:An apology is certainly in order.
properly arranged or prepared; ready:Everything's in order, so we can go now.
correct according to the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Idiomsin order that, (used to introduce a clause that explains the reason for something) so that; to the end that:These pupils are studying business in order that they might become better accountants.
Idiomsin order to, (used to introduce a phrase to explain the reason for something) as a means to; with the purpose of:The exchange students are studying here in order to get a better understanding of how American business works.
Idiomsin short order, with promptness or speed; rapidly; quickly:She had her homework done in short order.
Idiomson order, ordered but not yet received:That part you need is on order.
Idiomson the order of, [~ + object]
approximately; about:That house must be worth on the order of three million dollars.
Idiomsout of order:
Idiomsnot in correct sequence or arrangement:These pages are out of order.
not appropriate or suitable:Your remarks are out of order.
not operating properly; in disrepair:The elevators are out of order again.
incorrect according to the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Idiomsto order, according to the needs or request of the person buying something:The curtains were made to order.
an authoritative direction or instruction; command; mandate.
a command of a court or judge.
a command or notice issued by a military organization or a military commander to troops, sailors, etc.
the disposition of things following one after another, as in space or time; succession or sequence:The names were listed in alphabetical order.
a condition in which each thing is properly disposed with reference to other things and to its purpose; methodical or harmonious arrangement:You must try to give order to your life.
formal disposition or array:the order of the troops.
proper, satisfactory, or working condition.
state or condition generally:His financial affairs were in good order.
conformity or obedience to law or established authority; absence of disturbance, riot, revolt, unruliness, etc.:A police officer was there to maintain order.
customary mode of procedure; established practice or usage.
the customary or prescribed mode of proceeding in debates or the like, or in the conduct of deliberative or legislative bodies, public meetings, etc.:parliamentary rules of order.
prevailing course or arrangement of things; established system or regime:The old order is changing.
conformity to this.
a direction or commission to make, provide, or furnish something:The salesclerk will take your order.
a quantity of goods or items purchased or sold:The druggist is sending the order right over.
Grammar, Linguistics
the arrangement of the elements of a construction in a particular sequence, as the placing of John before the verb and of George after it in John saw George.
the hierarchy of grammatical rules applying to a construction.
the rank of immediate constituents.
Religionany of the nine grades of angels in medieval angelology. Cf. angel (def. 1).
Mathematics
degree, as in algebra.
the number of rows or columns of a square matrix or determinant.
the number of times a function has been differentiated to produce a given derivative:a second order derivative.
the order of the highest derivative appearing in a given differential equation: d2y/dx2 + 3y (dy/dx) - 6 = 0 is a differential equation of order two.
the number of elements of a given group.
the smallest positive integer such that a given element in a group raised to that integer equals the identity.
the least positive integer n such that permuting a given set n times under a given permutation results in the set in its original form.
any class, kind, or sort, as of persons or things, distinguished from others by nature or character:talents of a high order.
Biologythe usual major subdivision of a class or subclass in the classification of organisms, consisting of several families.
a rank, grade, or class of persons in a community.
a group or body of persons of the same profession, occupation, or pursuits:the clerical order.
Religiona body or society of persons living by common consent under the same religious, moral, or social regulations.
Religion[Eccles.]any of the degrees or grades of clerical office. Cf. major order, minor order.
Religiona monastic society or fraternity:the Franciscan order.
a written direction to pay money or deliver goods, given by a person legally entitled to dispose of it:delivery order; exchange order.
Architecture
any arrangement of columns with an entablature.
any of five such arrangements typical of classical architecture, including the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders invented by the Greeks and adapted by the Romans, the Tuscan order, invented by the Romans, and the Composite order, first named during the Renaissance.
any of several concentric rings composing an arch, esp. when each projects beyond the one below. See illus. under tympanum.
Religionorders, the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.
ReligionUsually, orders. the rite or sacrament of ordination.
Religiona prescribed form of divine service or of administration of a rite or ceremony.
Religionthe service itself.
Religionthe visible structures essential or desirable to the nature of the church, involving esp. ministry, polity, and sacraments.
a society or fraternity of knights, of combined military and monastic character, as, in the Middle Ages, the Knights Templars.
a modern organization or society more or less resembling the knightly orders:fraternal orders.
British Terms(cap.)
a special honor or rank conferred by a sovereign upon a person for distinguished achievement.
the insignia worn by such persons.
British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]a pass for admission to a theater, museum, or the like.
Idiomsa tall order, a very difficult or formidable task, requirement, or demand:Getting the crop harvested with so few hands to help was a tall order.Also, a large order.
Idiomscall to order, to begin (a meeting):The meeting was called to order at 3 o'clock.
Idiomsin order:
fitting; appropriate:It appears that an apology is in order.
in a state of proper arrangement, preparation, or readiness:Everything is in order for the departure.
correct according to the rules of parliamentary procedure:Questions from the floor are now in order.
Idiomsin order that, so that; to the end that:We ought to leave early in order that we may not miss the train.
Idiomsin order to, as a means to; with the purpose of:She worked summers in order to save money for college.
Idiomsin short order, with promptness or speed; rapidly:The merchandise arrived in short order.
Idiomson order, ordered but not yet received:We're out of stock in that item, but it's on order.
Idiomson the order of:
resembling to some extent; like:I would like a dress on the order of the one in the window.
approximately; about:On the order of 100,000 people attended the rally.
Idiomsout of order:
inappropriate; unsuitable:His remark was certainly out of order.
not operating properly; in disrepair:The air conditioner is out of order again.
incorrect according to the rules of parliamentary procedure:The chairwoman told him that he was out of order.
Idiomsto order, according to one's individual requirements or instructions:a suit made to order; carpeting cut to order.
v.t.
to give an order, direction, or command to:The infantry divisions were ordered to advance.
to direct or command to go or come as specified:to order a person out of one's house.
to prescribe:The doctor ordered rest for the patient.
to direct to be made, supplied, or furnished:to order a copy of a book.
to regulate, conduct, or manage:to order one's life for greater leisure.
to arrange methodically or suitably:to order chessmen for a game.
Mathematicsto arrange (the elements of a set) so that if one element precedes another, it cannot be preceded by the other or by elements that the other precedes.
to ordain, as God or fate does.
to invest with clerical rank or authority.
v.i.
to give an order or issue orders:I wish to order, but the waiter is busy.
Latin ordin- (stem of ordō) row, rank, regular arrangement
Old French ordre (noun, nominal)
Middle English ordre (noun, nominal), ordren (verb, verbal, derivative of the noun, nominal) 1175–1225
or′der•a•ble, adj. or′der•er, n. or′der•less, adj.
1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged ukase, ordinance, prescription, decree, injunction.
5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged regularity.
21.See corresponding entry in Unabridged degree.
23.See corresponding entry in Unabridged fraternity, community.
47.See corresponding entry in Unabridged instruct, bid, require, ordain. See direct.
51.See corresponding entry in Unabridged run, operate, adjust, arrange, systematize.
a state in which all components or elements are arranged logically, comprehensibly, or naturally
an arrangement or disposition of things in succession; sequence: alphabetical order
an established or customary method or state, esp of society
a peaceful or harmonious condition of society: order reigned in the streets
(often plural)a class, rank, or hierarchy: the lower orders
any of the taxonomic groups into which a class is divided and which contains one or more families. Carnivora, Primates, and Rodentia are three orders of the class Mammalia
an instruction that must be obeyed; command
a commission or instruction to produce or supply something in return for payment
the commodity produced or supplied
(as modifier): order form
a procedure followed by an assembly, meeting, etc
(capital when part of a name)a body of people united in a particular aim or purpose
Also called:religious order (usually capital)a group of persons who bind themselves by vows in order to devote themselves to the pursuit of religious aims
a society of knights constituted as a fraternity, such as the Knights Templars
a group of people holding a specific honour for service or merit, conferred on them by a sovereign or state
the insignia of such a group
any of the five major classical styles of architecture classified by the style of columns and entablatures used See alsoDoric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, composite4
any style of architecture
the sacrament by which bishops, priests, etc, have their offices conferred upon them
any of the degrees into which the ministry is divided
the office of an ordained Christian minister
the number of times a function must be differentiated to obtain a given derivative
the order of the highest derivative in a differential equation
the number of rows or columns in a determinant or square matrix