order

1 noun

1 FOR A PURPOSE

a) in order to do sth for the purpose of doing something: politicians who make promises simply in order to win more votes | In order to understand how the human body works, you need to have some knowledge of chemistry.

b) in order for/that formal so that something can happen or so that someone can do something: in order for sb/sth to do sth: Sunlight is needed in order for photosynthesis to take place. | in order that: I locked the door in order that we might continue our discussions undisturbed.

2 ARRANGEMENT (C, U) the way that several things, events etc are arranged or put on a list, showing whether something is first, second, third etc; sequence: The programme shows the order of events for the day. | In order (=arranged in a particular way): You should keep the files in order. | What order are these videos supposed to be in? | do sth in order (=do things one after another, according to a plan): Then they call out our names in order and we answer yes or no. | out of order (=in the wrong order) | in chronological/alphabetical/numerical order: Let us examine these events in chronological order. | in the right/wrong order: Wait a minute, we've got these photos in the wrong order. | in order of importance/preference/appearance etc: Characters are listed in order of appearance. | in reverse order (=in the opposite order to what is usual) | in ascending/descending order (=starting with the lowest or highest number)

3 REQUEST FOR GOODS (C) a request by a customer for a company to supply goods or for a meal in a restaurant: place an order (=make an order): The Canadian Air Force has placed a large order for electronic equipment. | order form (=special piece of paper for writing orders on): Have you filled out the order form? | on order (=ordered but not yet received): It's on order - it should be in next week. | have sth on order (=be waiting for something you have ordered) | take sb's order (=write down what a customer in a restaurant wants): The waiter came over to take my order. | make/supply sth to order (=produce something especially for a particular customer): We supply hand-made shoes to order.

4 GOODS/MEAL (C) goods or a meal that a customer has asked for: Your order has arrived - you can collect it from the store any time. | side order (=a small plate of food in addition to your main meal)

5 NO TROUBLE OR CRIME (U) a situation in which rules are obeyed and authority is respected: law and order: the work of the police in maintaining law and order | public order: Their speeches were clearly a threat to public order. | keep order/keep sb in order (=stop people from behaving badly): Some of the new teachers can't keep order. | Don't worry, I'll keep them in order. | restore order: The army was called in to restore order. | call sb to order (=order someone in a formal meeting or court of law to obey the rules) | Order! Order! (=used in parliament or in court to tell people to be quiet and obey the rules)

6 COMMAND also orders (C) a command given by someone in authority: I expect my orders to be obeyed. | You will report to me at eight o'clock tomorrow - and that's an order | give orders: I'm the one who gives the orders around here - just remember that. | take orders from (=obey someone): I'm not taking orders from you! | order to do sth: General Bradley gave the order to advance. | have orders to do sth (=have been commanded to do something): I have orders to search your house. | by order of/on the orders of (=because of someone's order): On Stalin's orders the target for the five year plan was raised once again. | under orders to do sth (=having been commanded to do something): A warship was dispatched, under orders to sail directly to Georgetown.

7 LEGAL DOCUMENT (C) an official statement from a court of law that something must be done; court order

8 be out of order

a) if a machine or piece of equipment is out of order, it is not working: The phone at the street corner is out of order again.

b) if things on a list or in a series are out of order, they are not correctly arranged: Some of the pages in this book are out of order.

c) BrE informal if someone's behaviour is out of order it is unacceptable; out of line line 1 (32) AmE

d) to be breaking the rules in a committee, court, parliament etc: The MP's remarks were ruled out of order.

9 be in order

a) if things on a list or in a series are in order they are correctly arranged

b) if an official document is in order it is legal and correct: Is your passport in order?

c) if something that you do is in order, it is allowed by the rules in a committee, court, parliament etc

d) to be a suitable thing to do or say on a particular occasion: I hear congratulations are in order.

10 be in (good) working/running order if a vehicle or machine is in good working or running order, it is working well: a 1927 Model A Ford, still in good running order

11 WELL-ORGANIZED STATE (U) a situation in which everything is controlled, well organized, and correctly arranged: Let's have some order in here. Someone put those desks straight. | put sth in order (=organize or arrange something properly): Uncle Bob put his business affairs in order before he died. | in apple-pie order AmE informal (=very tidy and correctly arranged): Tim's room was in apple-pie order.

12 leave/retreat/retire in good order to leave in a controlled way, when people are angry or attacking you

13 POLITICAL/BUSINESS SITUATION (singular) the political, social, or economic situation at a particular time: the present economic order | the established order (=the traditional rules and customs of society): The gay rights movement emerged to challenge the established order. | the new order (=the new situation after an important change in politics or society): the new world order since the end of the Cold War

14 the (natural) order of things the way that life and the world are organized and intended to be: People accepted the class system as part of the natural order of things.

15 of a high/the highest/the first order of a very good or of the best kind: an achievement of the highest order

16 be the order of the day

a) to be suitable for a particular occasion or situation: Casual clothes are the order of the day.

b) to be very common at a particular time: Sexual explicitness seems to be the order of the day.

17 in the order of/of the order of also on the order of AmE a little more or a little less than a particular amount; approximately: a figure in the order of $7 million

18 in short order especially AmE immediately: The crisis was resolved in relatively short order.

19 RELIGIOUS GROUP (C) a society of monks or nuns (=people who live a holy life according to religious rules): the Benedictine Order

(+ of): the order of Jesuits

20 take (holy) orders to become a priest

21 SECRET SOCIETY (C) an organization or society whose members meet for secret ceremonies: a Masonic order | the Royal Ancient Order of Boars

22 OFFICIAL HONOUR (C)

a) a group of people who have received a special official reward from a king, president etc for their services or achievements: the Order of the Garter

b) a special piece of metal, silk etc that members of the order wear at ceremonies

23 MONEY (C) an official piece of paper that can be exchanged for money

—see also: postal order, banker's order, money order

24 the lower orders BrE old-fashioned people who belong to the lowest social class

25 OF ANIMALS/PLANTS (C) technical a group of animals or plants that are considered together because they are descended from the same plant or animal in evolution (1)

—compare class 1 (6), kingdom (3), species

26 COMPUTER (C) AmE technical a list of jobs that a computer has to do in a particular order; queue BrE

—see also: point of order, tall order tall (3), standing order, pecking order, be given/get your marching orders march 1 (5), under starter's orders starter (3), set/put your own house in order house 1 (7) 2 verb

1 (I, T) to ask for goods or services: Have you ordered yet, madam? | order sth: She ordered a double brandy. | order sb sth: We'll order you a taxi from the.station. | order sth for sb/sth: I've ordered new curtains for the living room.

2 (T) to tell someone to do something, using your authority or power: “Stay right there,” she ordered. | order sb in/out etc: If you make any more noise I'll order you out of the room. | order sb to do sth: The commandant ordered them to line up against the wall. | order sth: Only the king has the power to order the release of the prisoners.

(+ that): A grand jury has ordered that Schultz be sent for trial.

3 (T) to arrange something in an order: The diamonds are ordered according to size.

4 (T) old use to arrange things neatly or effectively

order sb about/around phrasal verb (T) BrE to continuously give someone orders in an annoying or threatening way: Keith's older brother is always ordering him around. order sb out phrasal verb (T) to order soldiers or police to go somewhere to stop violent behaviour by a crowd: The Governor decided to order out the National Guard.