(a) Sequence, series; order or arrangement of the alphabet, of elements in a hierarchy, of material in a text, of words, etc.; context [quot.: (a1382)]; ~ of the place, sequence of digits in a number; natural ~, hierarchy of men; (b) temporal sequence; course of a battle; (c) a proper order, an orderly arrangement; regulated condition; established hierarchy of men; (d) a part of a sequence or series; position in a sequence; (e) battle order or array; in ~, in battle order; (f) bi (in) ~, in order, in sequence, in an orderly arrangement or manner; in god ~; with ~, in order; properly; in som manere ~, ?in a proper manner, ?properly; (g) withouten ~, lacking proper order; improperly; in a state of mental or bodily disorder [quot.: Chartier]; oute of ~, in improper sequence.

(a) A row of grains, oars, or veins; course of stones or timber; line of figures; rim of a crown; (b) ?a whorl of leaves.

(a) Prescribed method or sequence, regular procedure; proper conduct, custom; manner, method; ~ of conjunccioun, placement of conjunctions; ~ of construccioun, proper ordering of syntactic elements; ~ of right, the lawful or proper manner of proceeding; oute of ~, improperly; wandren oute of ~, to go astray, sin; (b) a step in a prescribed method.

(a) The appointed order of the universe; a divinely ordained course or condition; natural course; ~ of thinges (causes, destine, nature); (b) the condition or conduct appointed for an individual; natural ~; ~ of kinde, conduct or a course of development natural to a species or group; (c) bi ~ of nature, ?according to hereditary succession.

(a) Position, rank, status; after ~, in a manner appropriate to (one's) social class; bi ~, according to rank; ~ of holinesse, the position or office of a clergyman; (b) ~ of the senat, the senatorial class, the body of senators; orderes of servitoures, classes of servants.

(a) A rank or grade in the hierarchy of God's angels; also, men as intended to replace the fallen tenth order; ~ of aungeles, englene ~, any one of the orders of angels; (b) a rank or class of spirits.

(a) Rank or position of clergyman; a rank or office in the church, one of the holy orders; man of ~, a clergyman; taken no more ~, to assume no higher rank in the church; holi ordre(s; (b) the sacrament of ordination, esp. to the priesthood; also, an ordination; sacrament of ~; (c) nimen (receiven, taken) ~, entren into ~, taken (heigh, holi) ordres, etc., to assume the rank or position of clergyman, receive (one's) ordination; also, taken ~, assume the role of an apostle [quot.: ?a1450]; taken the ~ of prest(hede, be ordained as priest; ben in (holi) ~, be a clergyman; (d) maken ordres, to confer orders; yeven ordres, ordain (sb.); (e) fig. maken ordres, to give a blow to the head; beren ~, taken ordres, receive a blow to the head; -- a parody of the ceremony of ordination or reception into a religious order.

(a) The rank or distinction of a knight; manner of life appropriate for a knight; a code of conduct prescribed for knights, knightly vows; ~ of knight(hode; (b) the fraternity of all knights; ~ of chevalrie, knights in general; a society of knights; ~ of templares, the templar ~, the Knights Templars; (c) taken ordre(s, taken ~ of knight (knighthode, chevalrie), etc., to assume the position and life of knighthood; also fig.; yeven ~ (of knight), confer knighthood upon (sb.); (d) the Order of the Garter; also, the code or rule of that order; ~ of the garter.

(a) A Christian religious order; an order of monks, nuns, friars, canons, or anchorites; also fig.; member society or house of a religious order; members of a religious order; (b) ordres of beggeres, ordres mendivauntes, the mendicant orders; ordres four, four ordres, the four mendicant orders: Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, Franciscans [see also four 1b. (d)]; blak ~, the Augustinian canons; hous of ~, a monastery, a nunnery; man of ~, a male religious; iben (liven) in ~, to belong to a religious order; gon to ordre(s, join a religious order; (c) Cristes ~, the Christian church as intended by Christ; (d) the ~ of monkes, the institution of monasticism; (e) a pagan religious order or rule.

(a) Priesthood; the priestly life or position; ~ of melchisedech; (b) a division of the Jewish priesthood; ~ of presthede (prestes), the office of Jewish high priesthood.

(a) A condition of life; (b) the wedded state; ~ of wedlok, the wedded state; matrimonial vows; (c) taken the ~ of widwehod, to adopt widowhood, vow to remain a widow.

(a) A decree, rule, requirement; dictates, direction; ~ of charite (love, merci), a rule enjoining charity (love, mercy); in the ~ of charite, according to the rule of charity; laue and ~, ~ and laue; (b) a religious rule, vows; also fig.; cristes ~, ~ of crist, the manner of life instituted or exemplified by Christ, ideal Christian faith; godes ~, a religious rule requiring seclusion; holden (kepen) ~, to abide by (one's) vows, live in accordance with a religious rule; breken ~, fail to live by (one's) professed rule.