ORD 



ORD 



line : the circle and conic sections are of 

 the second order, because they can be 

 cut in two points by a right line ; while 

 those of the third order are such as can 

 be cut in three points by a right line. 



OHDEH, in botany, the first subdivision 

 of a class in the Linnxan system, founded 

 on the number of styles or female organs. 

 The orders of Linnxus are all expressed 

 by a single term, which like the names of 

 the classes, is of Greek etymology, and 

 is significant of the character of the order 

 to which it is applied. The names of 

 these orders are often different in differ- 

 ent classes, because the same idea pre- 

 dominates in their institution. 



ORDINANCE, or Ordonnance, a law, 

 statute, or command of a sovereign or su- 

 perior. 



ORDINARY, in the civil law, signifies 

 any judge that hath authority to take cog- 

 nizance of causes in his own right, as he 

 is a magistrate, and not by deputation ; 

 but in the common law it is taken for 

 him who has exempt and immediate ju- 

 risdiction in causes ecclesiastical. 



ORDINARY, or honourable Ordinary, in 

 heraldry, a denomination given to certain 

 charges properly belonging to that art. 

 The honourable ordinaries are ten in 

 number ; viz. the chief, pale, bend, sesse, 

 bar, cross, saltier, chevron, bordure, and 

 orle. For which see HERALDRY, Sic. 



ORDINATES, in geometry, are right 

 lines drawn parallel to each other, and 

 cutting the curve in a certain number of 

 points. Parallel ordinates are usually all 

 cut by some other line, which is called 

 an absciss. When this line is a diameter 

 of the curve, the property of the ordi- 

 nates is then the most remarkable ; for, 

 in the curves of the first kind, or .the co- 

 nic sections and circle, the ordinates are 

 all bisected by the diameter, making the 

 part on one side of it eqiul to the part 

 on the other side of it ; and in the curves 

 of the second order, which may be cut 

 in three points by an ordinate, then of 

 the three parts of the ordinate, lying be- 

 tween these three intersections of the 

 curve and the intersection with the di- 

 ameter, the part on one side the diame- 

 ter is equal to both the two parts on the 

 other side of it. And so for curves of any 

 order, whatever the number of intersec- 

 tions may be, the sum of the parts of any 

 ordinate, on one side of the diameter, is 

 equal to the sum of the parts on the oth- 

 er side of it. The use of ordinates in a 

 curve, and their abscisses, is to define or 

 express the nature of a curve by means 

 of the general relation or equation be- 



tween them ; and the greatest number 

 of factors, or the dimensions of the high- 

 est term, in such equation, is always the 

 same as the order of the line ; that equa- 

 tion being a quadratic, or its highest 

 term of two dimensions, in the lines of 

 the second order, being the circle and 

 conic sections ; and a cubic equation, or 

 its highest term containing three dimen- 

 sions, in the lines of the third order, 

 and so on. Thus, y denoting an ordi- 

 nate and a: its absciss, also a b c, &c. 

 given quantities : then y* = a x* -f- b x 

 + c is the general equation for the 

 lines of the second order : and x y* 

 e y = a x3 + b x- -f- c x -f- d is the 

 equation for the lines of the third order, 

 and so on. 



ORDINATION, the act of conferring 

 holy orders, or of initiating a person in- 

 to the priesthood by prayer, and the lay- 

 ing on of hands. Ordination has always 

 been esteemed the principal prerogative 

 of bishops, and they still retain the func- 

 tion as a mark of spiritual sovereignty in 

 their diocese. Without ordination, no 

 person can receive any benefice, parson- 

 age, vicarage, &c. A clerk must be 

 twenty-three years of age before he can 

 have any share in the ministry ; and 

 twenty-four before he can be ordained, 

 and by that means be permitted to admi- 

 nister the sacraments. A bishop, on the 

 ordination of clergymen, is to examine 

 them in the presence of the ministers who 

 assist him at the imposition of hands : and 

 in case any crime, as drunkenness, per- 

 jury, forgery, &c. be alleged against any 

 one that is to be ordained, either priest 

 or deacon, the bishop ought to desist 

 from ordaining him. The person to be 

 ordained is to bring a testimonial of his 

 life and doctrine to the bishop, and give 

 an account of his faith in Latin, and both 

 priests and deacons are obliged to sub- 

 scribe the thirty-nine articles. 



ORDNANCE, a general name for all 

 sorts of great guns used in war. 



ORDNANCE, office of, an office kept 

 within the Tower of London, which su- 

 perintends and disposes of all the arms, 

 instruments, and utensils of war, both by 

 sea and land, in all the magazines, garri- 

 sons, and forts, in Great Britain. 



The officers of the ordnance are : 1. 

 The Master General, from whom are de- 

 rived all orders and despatches relating 

 to the same. 2. The Lieutenant Gene- 

 ral, who receives orders from the Master 

 General, and sees them duly executed ; 

 orders the firing of guns on days of re- 

 joicing, and sees the train of artillery fit- 



