Orb - Order

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9. (Mil.) A body of soldiers drawn up in a circle, as for defense, esp. infantry to repel cavalry.
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Syn. -- Globe; ball; sphere. See .
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Orb (ôrb), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Orbed (ôrbd); p. pr. & vb. n. Orbing.] 1. To form into an orb or circle. [Poetic] Milton. Lowell.
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2. To encircle; to surround; to inclose. [Poetic]
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The wheels were orbed with gold. Addison.
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Orb, v. i. To become round like an orb. [Poetic]
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And orb into the perfect star. Tennyson.
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Orbate (?), a. [L. orbatus, p. p. of orbare to bereave, fr. orbus bereaved of parents or children. See .] Bereaved; fatherless; childless. [Obs.]
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Orbation (?), n. [L. orbatio.] The state of being orbate, or deprived of parents or children; privation, in general; bereavement. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
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Orbed (?), a. Having the form of an orb; round.
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The orbèd eyelids are let down. Trench.
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{ Orbic (?), Orbical (?), } a. [L. orbicus, or orbitus, fr. orbis orb.] Spherical; orbicular; orblike; circular. [R.] Bacon.
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Orbicle (?), n. [L. orbiculus, dim. of orbis orb.] A small orb, or sphere. [Obs.] G. Fletcher.
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Orbicula (?), n. [NL. See .] (Zoöl.) Same as .
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Orbicular (?), a. [L. orbicularis, fr. orbiculus, dim. of orbis orb: cf. F. orbiculaire.] Resembling or having the form of an orb; spherical; circular; orbiculate. -- Orbicularly, adv. -- Orbicularness, n.
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Orbicular as the disk of a planet. De Quincey.
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Orbiculate (?), n. That which is orbiculate; especially, a solid the vertical section of which is oval, and the horizontal section circular.
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{ Orbiculate (?), Orbiculated (?), } a. [L. orbiculatus. See .] Made, or being, in the form of an orb; having a circular, or nearly circular, or a spheroidal, outline.
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Coloq. Orbiculate leaf (Bot.), a leaf whose outline is nearly circular.
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Orbiculation (?), n. The state or quality of being orbiculate; orbicularness. Dr. H. More.
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Orbit (?), n. [L. orbita a track or rut made by a wheel, course, circuit, fr. orbis a circle: cf. F. orbite. See 2d .] 1. (Astron.) The path described by a heavenly body in its periodical revolution around another body; as, the orbit of Jupiter, of the earth, of the moon.
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2. An orb or ball. [Rare & Improper]
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Roll the lucid orbit of an eye. Young.
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3. (Anat.) The cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated.
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4. (Zoöl.) The skin which surrounds the eye of a bird.
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Orbital (?), a. Of or pertaining to an orbit. “Orbital revolution.” J. D. Forbes.
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Coloq. Orbital index (Anat.), in the skull, the ratio of the vertical height to the transverse width of the orbit, which is taken as the standard, equal to 100.
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Orbitar (?), a. [Cf. F. orbitaire.] Orbital. [R.] Dunglison.
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Orbitary (?), a. Situated around the orbit; as, the orbitary feathers of a bird.
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Orbitelæ (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. orbis an orb + tela a web.] (Zoöl.) A division of spiders, including those that make geometrical webs, as the garden spider, or Epeira.
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Orbitolites (?), prop. n. [NL. See , and .] (Zoöl.) A genus of living Foraminifera, forming broad, thin, circular disks, containing numerous small chambers.
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Orbitonasal (?), a. [Orbit + nasal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the orbit and the nose; as, the orbitonasal, or ophthalmic, nerve.
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Orbitosphenoid (?), a. [Orbit + sphenoid.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the sphenoid bone and the orbit, or to the orbitosphenoid bone. -- n. The orbitosphenoid bone, which is situated in the orbit on either side of the presphenoid. It generally forms a part of the sphenoid in the adult.
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Orbitosphenoidal (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the orbitosphenoid bone; orbitosphenoid.
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Orbituary (?), a. Orbital. [R.]
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{ Orbitude (?), Orbity (?), } n. [L. orbitudo, orbitas, fr. orbus: cf. F. orbité. See .] Orbation. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
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Orbulina (?), prop. n. [NL., dim. of L. orbis orb.] (Zoöl.) A genus of minute living Foraminifera having a globular shell.
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orb weaver, orb-weaver (?), n. Any spider of the family Araneidae (called also Argiopidae) that spins a web with a pattern of lines spiraling outward from the center. They have eight similar eyes. The golden orb weaver, Mephila clavipes, is known for the remarkable dragline silk it produces for use as a frame for its web and as a line on which it can plummet down and nab prey. This silk has a high tensile strength and is stronger than the toughest current synthetic polymer (Kevlar).
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Orby (?), a. [From 2d .] Orblike; having the course of an orb; revolving. [Obs.] “Orby hours.” Chapman.
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orc (ôrk), n. [L. orca, a kind of whale: cf. F. orque.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any of several cetaceans, especialy the grampus (Grampus griseus) of the dolphin family. [Written also ork and orch.] Milton.
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An island salt and bare,
The haunt of seals, and orcs, and sea-mews' clang. Milton (Par. Lost xi. 835).

2. (Mythology) A mythical monster of varying descriptions; an ogre.
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Goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description. J. J. Tolkien (The Hobbit)

3. The .
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Orca (ôrkȧ), prop. n. The (Orcinus orca).
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Orcadian (?), a. [L. Orcades the Orkney Islands.] Of or pertaining to the Orkney Islands.
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Orcein (?), n. (Chem.) A reddish brown amorphous dyestuff, C7H7NO3, obtained from orcin, and forming the essential coloring matter of cudbear and archil. It is closely related to litmus.
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Orchal (?), n. See .
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Orchanet (?), n. [F. orcanète.] (Bot.) Same as , 2. Ainsworth.
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Orchard (?), n. [AS. ortgeard, wyrtgeard, lit., wortyard, i. e., a yard for herbs; wyrt herb + geard yard. See , inclosure.] 1. A garden. [Obs.]
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2. An inclosure containing fruit trees; also, the fruit trees, collectively; -- used especially of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, or the like, less frequently of nutbearing trees and of sugar maple trees.
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Coloq. Orchard grass (Bot.), a tall coarse grass (Dactylis glomerata), introduced into the United States from Europe. It grows usually in shady places, and is of value for forage and hay. -- Coloq. Orchard house (Hort.), a glazed structure in which fruit trees are reared in pots. -- Coloq. Orchard oriole (Zool.), a bright-colored American oriole (Icterus spurius), which frequents orchards. It is smaller and darker thah the Baltimore oriole.
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Orcharding (?), n. 1. The cultivation of orchards.
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2. Orchards, in general.
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Orchardist, n. One who cultivates an orchard.
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Orchel (?), n. Archil.
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Orchesography (?), n. [Gr. � dance + -graphy.] A treatise upon dancing. [R.]
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Orchester (?), n. See .
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Orchestian (?), n. [From Gr. � a dancer. See .] (Zoöl.) Any species of amphipod crustacean of the genus Orchestia, or family Orchestidæ. See Beach flea, under .
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Orchestra (?), n. [L. orchestra, Gr. �, orig., the place for the chorus of dancers, from � to dance: cf. F. orchestre.] 1. The space in a theater between the stage and the audience; -- originally appropriated by the Greeks to the chorus and its evolutions, afterward by the Romans to persons of distinction, and by the moderns to a band of instrumental musicians. Now commonly called orchestra pit, to distinguish it from the section of the main floor occupied by spectators.
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2. The space in the main floor of a theater in which the audience sits; also, the forward spectator section of the main floor, in distinction from the parterre, which is the rear section of the main floor.
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3. The place in any public hall appropriated to a band of instrumental musicians.
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4. (Mus.) (a) Loosely: A band of instrumental musicians performing in a theater, concert hall, or other place of public amusement. (b) Strictly: A band suitable for the performance of symphonies, overtures, etc., as well as for the accompaniment of operas, oratorios, cantatas, masses, and the like, or of vocal and instrumental solos. (c) A band composed, for the largest part, of players of the various viol instruments, many of each kind, together with a proper complement of wind instruments of wood and brass; -- as distinguished from a military or street band of players on wind instruments, and from an assemblage of solo players for the rendering of concerted pieces, such as septets, octets, and the like.
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5. (Mus.) The instruments employed by a full band, collectively; as, an orchestra of forty stringed instruments, with proper complement of wind instruments.
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Orchestral (?), a. Of or pertaining to an orchestra; suitable for, or performed in or by, an orchestra.
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orchestrate v. t. 1. to write an orchestra score for; -- of a musical composition.
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2. To be the chief coordinator of (an activity requiring action by more than one person); to organize and coordinate.
Syn. -- mastermind, engineer, direct, organize.
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orchestrated adj. 1. Arranged for performance by an orchestra; -- of a musical composition.
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2. Coordinated to achieve a maximal effect; -- of actions of a group.
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Orchestration (?), n. (Mus.) The arrangement of music for an orchestra; orchestral treatment of a composition; -- called also instrumentation.
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Orchestre (?), n. [F.] See .
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Orchestric (?), a. Orchestral.
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Orchestrion (?), n. A large music box imitating a variety of orchestral instruments.
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Orchid (?), n. [See .] (Bot.) Any plant of the order Orchidaceæ. See .
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Orchidaceous (?), a. (Bot.) Pertaining to, or resembling, a natural order (Orchidaceæ) of endogenous plants of which the genus Orchis is the type. They are mostly perennial herbs having the stamens and pistils united in a single column, and normally three petals and three sepals, all adherent to the ovary. The flowers are curiously shaped, often resembling insects, the odd or lower petal (called the lip) being unlike the others, and sometimes of a strange and unexpected appearance. About one hundred species occur in the United States, but several thousand in the tropics.
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☞ Over three hundred genera are recognized.
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Orchidales prop. n. An order of plants with irregular flowers having minute seeds, and including the families Orchidaceae and Burmanniaceae.
Syn. -- order Orchidales.
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Orchidean (?), a. (Bot.) Orchidaceous.
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Orchideous (?), a. (Bot.) Same as .
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Orchidologist (?), n. One versed in orchidology.
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Orchidology (?), n. [Gr. � the orchis + -logy.] The branch of botany which treats of orchids.
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Orchil (?), n. See .
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Orchilla weed (?). (Bot.) The lichen from which archil is obtained. See .
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Orchis (?), prop. n.; pl. Orchises (#). [L., fr. Gr. � a testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers.]
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1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants growing in the North Temperate zone, and consisting of about eighty species. They are perennial herbs growing from a tuber (beside which is usually found the last year's tuber also), and are valued for their showy flowers. See .
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2. (Bot.) Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an orchid.
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☞ The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis, butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form of the flower.
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Orchitis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. � a testicle + -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of the testicles.
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Orchotomy (?), n. [Gr. � a testicle + temnein to cut.] (Surg.) The operation of cutting out or removing a testicle by the knife; castration.
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Orcin (?), n. [Etymology uncertain: cf. F. orcine.] (Chem.) A colorless crystalline substance, C6H3.CH3.(OH)2, which is obtained from certain lichens (Roccella, Lecanora, etc.), also from extract of aloes, and artificially from certain derivatives of toluene. It changes readily into orcein.
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Orcus prop. n. The god of the underworld; counterpart of Greek Pluto.
Syn. -- Dis.
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Ord (ôrd), n. [AS. ord point.] An edge or point; also, a beginning. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer.
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Coloq. Ord and end , the beginning and end. Cf. Odds and ends, under . [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer. Halliwell.
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Ordain (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ordained (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ordaining.] [OE. ordeinen, OF. ordener, F. ordonner, fr. L. ordinare, from ordo, ordinis, order. See , and cf. .] 1. To set in order; to arrange according to rule; to regulate; to set; to establish. “Battle well ordained.” Spenser.
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The stake that shall be ordained on either side. Chaucer.
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2. To regulate, or establish, by appointment, decree, or law; to constitute; to decree; to appoint; to institute.
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Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month. 1 Kings xii. 32.
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And doth the power that man adores ordain
Their doom ? Byron.
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3. To set apart for an office; to appoint.
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Being ordained his special governor. Shak.
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4. (Eccl.) To invest with ministerial or sacerdotal functions; to introduce into the office of the Christian ministry, by the laying on of hands, or other forms; to set apart by the ceremony of ordination.
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Meletius was ordained by Arian bishops. Bp. Stillingfleet.
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Ordainable (?), a. Capable of being ordained; worthy to be ordained or appointed. Bp. Hall.
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Ordainer (?), n. One who ordains.
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Ordainment (?), n. Ordination. [R.] Burke.
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Ordal (?), n. Ordeal. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Ordalian (?), a. [LL. ordalium.] Of or pertaining to trial by ordeal. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
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Ordeal (ôrd��l), n. [AS. ordāl, ordǣl, a judgment; akin to D. oordeel, G. urteil, urtheil; orig., what is dealt out, the prefix or- being akin to ā- compounded with verbs, G. er-, ur-, Goth. us-, orig. meaning, out. See , v. & n., and cf. , .] 1. An ancient form of test to determine guilt or innocence, by appealing to a supernatural decision, -- once common in Europe, and still practiced in the East and by savage tribes.
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☞ In England ordeal by fire and ordeal by water were used, the former confined to persons of rank, the latter to the common people. The ordeal by fire was performed, either by handling red-hot iron, or by walking barefoot and blindfold over red-hot plowshares, laid at unequal distances. If the person escaped unhurt, he was adjudged innocent; otherwise he was condemned as guilty. The ordeal by water was performed, either by plunging the bare arm to the elbow in boiling water, an escape from injury being taken as proof of innocence, or by casting the accused person, bound hand and foot, into a river or pond, when if he floated it was an evidence of guilt, but if he sunk he was acquitted. It is probable that the proverbial phrase, to go through fire and water, denoting severe trial or danger, is derived from the ordeal. See Wager of battle, under .
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2. Any severe trial, or test; a painful experience.
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Coloq. Ordeal bean . (Bot.) See Calabar bean, under . -- Coloq. Ordeal root (Bot.) the root of a species of Strychnos growing in West Africa, used, like the ordeal bean, in trials for witchcraft. -- Coloq. Ordeal tree (Bot.), a poisonous tree of Madagascar (Tanghinia venenata syn. Cerbera venenata). Persons suspected of crime are forced to eat the seeds of the plumlike fruit, and criminals are put to death by being pricked with a lance dipped in the juice of the seeds.
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Ordeal, a. Of or pertaining to trial by ordeal.
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Order (?), n. [OE. ordre, F. ordre, fr. L. ordo, ordinis. Cf. , .]
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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.
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The side chambers were . . . thirty in order. Ezek. xli. 6.
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Bright-harnessed angels sit in order serviceable. Milton.
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Good order is the foundation of all good things. Burke.
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2. Right arrangement; a normal, correct, or fit condition; as, the house is in order; the machinery is out of order. Locke.
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3. The customary mode of procedure; established system, as in the conduct of debates or the transaction of business; usage; custom; fashion. Dantiel.
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And, pregnant with his grander thought,
Brought the old order into doubt. Emerson.
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4. Conformity with law or decorum; freedom from disturbance; general tranquillity; public quiet; as, to preserve order in a community or an assembly.
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5. That which prescribes a method of procedure; a rule or regulation made by competent authority; as, the rules and orders of the senate.
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The church hath authority to establish that for an order at one time which at another time it may abolish. Hooker.
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6. A command; a mandate; a precept; a direction.
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Upon this new fright, an order was made by both houses for disarming all the papists in England. Clarendon.
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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.
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In those days were pit orders -- beshrew the uncomfortable manager who abolished them. Lamb.
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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.
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They are in equal order to their several ends. Jer. Taylor.
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Various orders various ensigns bear. Granville.
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Which, to his order of mind, must have seemed little short of crime. Hawthorne.
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