See Also: Open (good-till-cancelled) order (GTC order)(money)
Open order (good-till-cancelled, GTC order)(finance)
Temporary Order Or Interim Order(law)
Interim Order Or Temporary Order(law)
Not held order (NH order)(money)
DNR Order (Do Not Resuscitate Order)(health)
Immediate or canceled order (IOC order)(money)
Immediate or canceled order (IOC order)(finance)
Not held order (NH order)(finance)
IOC order(money)

order(1) (iou)



order noun. ME.
[Old & mod. French ordre, earlier ordene from Latin ordin-, ordo row, series, course, array, rank (of soldiers), class, degree, captaincy, command, (ecclesiastical) rank in the Church; rel. to ordiri begin, ornare ADORN verb.]
I. Rank, class.
In Christian theology, each of the nine ranks of angelic beings, as seraphim, cherubim, etc., forming the ninefold celestial hierarchy (see note below). Also, any similar class of spiritual or demonic beings. ME.
T. Heywood In the third order Principates..Next them Arch-Angels.
Ecclesiastical.
a. A grade or rank in the Christian ministry, as bishop, priest, etc., or in any ecclesiastical hierarchy; (now only in pl., more fully holy orders) the rank or position of a member of the clergy or an ordained minister of the Church. ME.
b. The conferment of holy orders, the rite of ordination. ME.
a. A society of monks, nuns, or friars living under the same religious, moral, and social regulations and discipline; a monastic society. Also, monasticism as an institution. ME.
Benedictine order, Cistercian order, Franciscan order, etc.
b. Hist. A society of knights bound by a common rule of life and having a combined military and monastic character. LME.
An institution founded (usu. by a monarch and in imitation of certain orders of monks) for the purpose of rewarding meritorious service by conferring an honour or honours. Also, the badge or insignia of such an honour. ME.
Order of Merit, Victorian Order, etc.
R. Davies A very stout, shortish man in uniform and a blaze of orders.
A rank in a community, consisting of people of the same status; a social division or grade. Esp. in higher orders, lower orders. ME.
b. A definite rank in a State. LME.
c. gen. Rank, position. poet. M17.
Milton These were the prime in order and in might.
A body of people of the same profession or occupation, or united by the same special interest or activity. LME.
Gibbon A generous..enthusiasm seemed to animate the military order.
A rank, a row; any of several parallel series behind or above one another. Now rare or obsolete. LME.
b. Physics. Each of a successive series of spectra or fringes formed by interference or diffraction; a number characterizing a particular spectrum or fringe, equal to the number of wavelengths by which the optical paths of successive contributing rays differ. E18.
c. Architecture. A series of mouldings. M19.
Architecture. A system or style of building subject to certain uniform established proportions; esp. each of the five classical styles of architecture (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite) based on the proportions of columns, the amount of decoration, etc. M16.
A kind, group, or class of person or thing, distinguished from others by character, quality, or importance. E17.
Goldsmith Every order..of animals seems fitted for its situation in life. H. Keller Miss Sullivan's talents are of the highest order. D. H. Lawrence A large meal of the high-tea order.
a. Math. The degree of complexity of an analytical or geometrical form, equation, expression, operator, etc., as denoted by an ordinal numeral (e.g. the power of the largest derivative in an equation). E18.
b. Math. The dimension of a determinant or square matrix; the number of elements in a group; the smallest positive integer m for which gm is equal to the identity element of a group, g being any given element. M19.
c. Chiefly Logic & Psychology. Each of the ranks or levels in a hierarchy in which every member above the lowest rank is a function of members of the next lower rank. Freq. with preceding ordinal numeral. E20.
d. Chemistry. The sum of the exponents of the concentrations of reactants, or the exponent of that of any particular reactant, in the expression for the rate of a chemical reaction. E20.
a. Biology (orig. only Zoology). A basic taxonomic grouping ranking above family and below class. M18.
b. Botany (now Hist.). Orig., a grouping of genera in the artificial system of Linnaeus, based on the number of stamens and carpels. Later (more fully natural order), a natural grouping of related genera based on other criteria; a family. M18.
II. Sequence, arrangement.
Arrangement of things in which one thing follows another; sequence in space or time; succession of acts or events. Also, the way in which this occurs. ME.
C. Stead He..marshaled them in order of age. R. Dahl Arrange words in their right order according to the rules of grammar.
A method by which things act or events take place in the world, society, etc.; a natural, moral, spiritual, or social system in which things proceed according to definite laws. ME.
R. W. Dale Christ's death is the foundation of a new spiritual order. J. Morley Two generations of men had almost ceased to care whether there be any moral order or not.
Orig. gen., regular procedure; customary practice; an established usage. Later spec., the prescribed or customary mode of proceeding in the conduct of a legislative body, public meeting, debate, etc. See also order of the day below. ME.
A. Todd The leader of the House of Commons is at liberty to arrange the order of business. A. S. Dale As chairman, Gilbert tried to keep order.
Formal, regular, or methodical arrangement in the position of the things in any area or group. Also more widely, the condition in which everything has its proper place and function. LME.
J. C. Powys Oases of order in the midst of chaos. D. Halberstam He loved order, his own desk clean every night.
Ecclesiastical. A stated form of liturgical service, or of administration of a rite or ceremony, prescribed by ecclesiastical authority; the service so prescribed. LME.
A condition in which the laws regulating the public conduct of members of a community are maintained and observed; the rule of law or constituted authority; absence of riot or violent crimes. L15.
H. Mayhew Policemen, with their..truncheons speedily restored order. J. R. Green The old social discontent..remained a perpetual menace to public order.
Measures or steps taken for the accomplishment of a purpose; suitable action in view of some end. Chiefly in take order. Now rare or obsolete. M16.
J. Strype They had taken order to meet these again..in the morning.
General state or condition; spec. normal, healthy, or efficient condition. M16.
W. R. Grove The machinery of the truck is apparently in good order.
Orig. & chiefly Military. Equipment, uniform, etc., for a specified purpose or of a specified type. M19.
drill order, review order, shirtsleeve order, etc.
Military. The position in which a rifle is held after ordering arms (see order arms s.v. ORDER verb 1). M19.
III. Regulation, direction.
The action of putting or keeping in order; regulation, control. E16-L17.
An authoritative direction, an injunction, a mandate; a command, an instruction. Freq. in under orders. M16.
A. Djoleto Each class teacher stood in front of his class and barked orders.
spec.
a. Finance. A written direction to pay money or deliver property; esp. a postal order. L17.
W. Owen I have cashed the Order long ago.
b. Law. A written decision of a court or judge; a direction of a court or judge (esp. in the Supreme Court or county courts) other than a final judgement. E18.
court order, demolition order, exclusion order, preservation order, probation order, etc.
Times Educational Supplement Juvenile supervision orders under the 1969 children and Young Persons Act.
c. A pass for free or reduced admission to a theatre, museum, private house, etc. M18.
d. Commerce. A direction or commission to make or provide something at the responsibility of the person ordering. M19.
Which? As soon as the..company accepts your order.
e. A request for food or drink in a restaurant, public house, etc.; the food or drink served in response to such a request. M19.
Listener Should you require your vegetables well done, please advise on placing your order.
f. Computing. An instruction or command, esp. one in machine language. M20.
Phrases: a large order slang a large requirement, demand, etc. apple-pie order: see APPLE-PIE noun. a tall order: see TALL adjective. Attic order: see ATTIC adjective1. banker's order = standing order below. by order by authoritative direction or command. compound order: see COMPOUND adjective. doctor's orders instructions from one's doctor; fig. any instructions which cannot be evaded. five orders Architecture the five classical styles of architecture (see sense 8 above). FRATERNAL order. GIANT order. holy orders: see sense 2a above. in holy orders, in orders belonging to the clergy, in the position of an ordained minister of the Church. in order (a) in proper sequence, according to rank, size, position, date, etc.; (b) in proper condition; in accordance with some rule or custom; (c) (orig. US) appropriate to the occasion, suitable; in fashion, current, correct; (d) in order that so that; (e) in order to with the purpose of doing, with a view to. in orders: see in holy orders above. in short order (orig. US) without delay, immediately. in the order of = of the order of (b) below. law and order: see LAW noun1 3a. Letters of Orders a certificate of ordination given by a bishop to a priest or deacon. loose order: see LOOSE adjective. lower orders: see LOWER adjective. mail order: see MAIL noun3. MARCHING order. matched orders: see MATCH verb1. minor orders: see MINOR adjective & noun. new order: see NEW adjective. of the FIRST order. of the order of (a) Math. (also of order ) having a ratio to (the quantity specified) that is neither a large number nor a small fraction, or that tends in the limit to a finite number; (b) gen. in the region of; approximately. on the order of = of the order of (b) above. Order in Council (a) an order issued by the British monarch on the advice of the Privy Council; (b) an order issued by a government department under powers bestowed by Act of Parliament. order of battle: see BATTLE noun. order of magnitude approximate number or magnitude in a scale in which steps correspond to a fixed factor (usu. of 10); a range between one power of 10 and the next. order of the day (a) in a legislative body, the business set down for debate on a particular day; (b) instructions issued by a commanding officer to the troops under his command; (c) the prevailing custom or state of things. orders are orders commands must be obeyed. order to view a request from an estate agent to an occupier to allow inspection of his or her premises by a client. out of order (a) not in proper sequence; in disorder, unsettled; (now usu. of a mechanical or electrical device) not working properly, broken; (b) in breach of the rules of an organization, meeting, etc. point of order: see POINT noun1. postal order: see POSTAL adjective. public order = sense 17 above. put one's house in order: see HOUSE noun1. sacred order: see SACRED adjective. SEALED orders. set one's house in order: see HOUSE noun1. short order: see SHORT adjective. social order: see SOCIAL adjective. standing order (a) an instruction to a bank to make regular fixed payments from an account usu. to another party; (b) an instruction for the regular provision of a commodity, newspaper, etc.; (c) in pl. the rules governing the manner in which all business shall be conducted in a parliament, council, society, etc. take orders enter the ministry of the Church, be ordained. under STARTER's orders. walking-orders: see WALKING noun. working order: see WORKING noun.
Comb.: order-form a form to be filled in by a customer giving a business order; order man a man who takes or makes out orders; order mark arch. a punishment in a school for bad behaviour; order pad a pad of order-forms; order-paper (a) a paper on which questions etc. for debate in a legislative assembly are entered; (b) esp. in the House of Lords, a publication of future business for the remainder of a session, an agenda; order wire Telecommunications a channel or path in a communication system used for signals controlling or directing system operations.
? The ranks of the celestial hierarchy as originally proposed were seraphim, cherubim, thrones; dominations, virtues, powers; principalities, archangels, angels. Later speculation exchanged the ranking of virtues and principalities.
orderless adjective devoid of order, regularity, or method; disorderly: M16.