Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

   9. A body of persons having some common honorary distinction
      or rule of obligation; esp., a body of religious persons
      or aggregate of convents living under a common rule; as,
      the Order of the Bath; the Franciscan order.

            Find a barefoot brother out, One of our order, to
            associate me.                         --Shak.

            The venerable order of the Knights Templars. --Sir
                                                  W. Scott.

   10. An ecclesiastical grade or rank, as of deacon, priest, or
       bishop; the office of the Christian ministry; -- often
       used in the plural; as, to take orders, or to take holy
       orders, that is, to enter some grade of the ministry.

   11. (Arch.) The disposition of a column and its component
       parts, and of the entablature resting upon it, in
       classical architecture; hence (as the column and
       entablature are the characteristic features of classical
       architecture) a style or manner of architectural
       designing.

   Note: The Greeks used three different orders, easy to
         distinguish, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The Romans
         added the Tuscan, and changed the Doric so that it is
         hardly recognizable, and also used a modified
         Corinthian called Composite. The Renaissance writers on
         architecture recognized five orders as orthodox or
         classical, -- Doric (the Roman sort), Ionic, Tuscan,
         Corinthian, and Composite. See Illust. of {Capital}.

   12. (Nat. Hist.) An assemblage of genera having certain
       important characters in common; as, the Carnivora and
       Insectivora are orders of Mammalia.

   Note: The Linn[ae]an artificial orders of plants rested
         mainly on identity in the numer of pistils, or
         agreement in some one character. Natural orders are
         groups of genera agreeing in the fundamental plan of
         their flowers and fruit. A natural order is usually (in
         botany) equivalent to a family, and may include several
         tribes.

   13. (Rhet.) The placing of words and members in a sentence in
       such a manner as to contribute to force and beauty or
       clearness of expression.

   14. (Math.) Rank; degree; thus, the order of a curve or
       surface is the same as the degree of its equation.

   {Artificial order} or {system}. See {Artificial
      classification}, under {Artificial}, and Note to def. 12
      above.

   {Close order} (Mil.), the arrangement of the ranks with a
      distance of about half a pace between them; with a
      distance of about three yards the ranks are in {open
      order}.

   {The four Orders}, {The Orders four}, the four orders of
      mendicant friars. See {Friar}. --Chaucer.

   {General orders} (Mil.), orders issued which concern the
      whole command, or the troops generally, in distinction
      from special orders.

   {Holy orders}.
       (a) (Eccl.) The different grades of the Christian
           ministry; ordination to the ministry. See def. 10
           above.
       (b) (R. C. Ch.) A sacrament for the purpose of conferring
           a special grace on those ordained.

   {In order to}, for the purpose of; to the end; as means to.

            The best knowledge is that which is of greatest use
            in order to our eternal happiness.    --Tillotson.

   {Minor orders} (R. C. Ch.), orders beneath the diaconate in
      sacramental dignity, as acolyte, exorcist, reader,
      doorkeeper.

   {Money order}. See under {Money}.

   {Natural order}. (Bot.) See def. 12, Note.

   {Order book}.
       (a) A merchant's book in which orders are entered.
       (b) (Mil.) A book kept at headquarters, in which all
           orders are recorded for the information of officers
           and men.
       (c) A book in the House of Commons in which proposed
           orders must be entered. [Eng.]

   {Order in Council}, a royal order issued with and by the
      advice of the Privy Council. [Great Britain]

   {Order of battle} (Mil.), the particular disposition given to
      the troops of an army on the field of battle.

   {Order of the day}, in legislative bodies, the special
      business appointed for a specified day.

   {Order of a differential equation} (Math.), the greatest
      index of differentiation in the equation.

   {Sailing orders} (Naut.), the final instructions given to the
      commander of a ship of war before a cruise.

   {Sealed orders}, orders sealed, and not to be opened until a
      certain time, or arrival at a certain place, as after a
      ship is at sea.

   {Standing order}.
       (a) A continuing regulation for the conduct of
           parliamentary business.
       (b) (Mil.) An order not subject to change by an officer
           temporarily in command.

   {To give order}, to give command or directions. --Shak.

   {To take order for}, to take charge of; to make arrangements
      concerning.

            Whiles I take order for mine own affairs. --Shak.

   Syn: Arrangement; management. See {Direction}.

General \Gen"er*al\, a. [F. g['e]n['e]ral, fr. L. generalis. See
   {Genus}.]
   1. Relating to a genus or kind; pertaining to a whole class
      or order; as, a general law of animal or vegetable
      economy.

   2. Comprehending many species or individuals; not special or
      particular; including all particulars; as, a general
      inference or conclusion.

   3. Not restrained or limited to a precise import; not
      specific; vague; indefinite; lax in signification; as, a
      loose and general expression.

   4. Common to many, or the greatest number; widely spread;
      prevalent; extensive, though not universal; as, a general
      opinion; a general custom.

            This general applause and cheerful shout Argue your
            wisdom and your love to Richard.      --Shak.

   5. Having a relation to all; common to the whole; as, Adam,
      our general sire. --Milton.

   6. As a whole; in gross; for the most part.

            His general behavior vain, ridiculous. --Shak.

   7. Usual; common, on most occasions; as, his general habit or
      method.

   Note: The word general, annexed to a name of office, usually
         denotes chief or superior; as, attorney-general;
         adjutant general; commissary general; quartermaster
         general; vicar-general, etc.

   {General agent} (Law), an agent whom a principal employs to
      transact all his business of a particular kind, or to act
      in his affairs generally.

   {General assembly}. See the Note under {Assembly}.

   {General average}, {General Court}. See under {Average},
      {Court}.

   {General court-martial} (Mil.), the highest military and
      naval judicial tribunal.

   {General dealer} (Com.), a shopkeeper who deals in all
      articles in common use.

   {General demurrer} (Law), a demurrer which objects to a
      pleading in general terms, as insufficient, without
      specifying the defects. --Abbott.

   {General epistle}, a canonical epistle.

   {General guides} (Mil.), two sergeants (called the right, and
      the left, general guide) posted opposite the right and
      left flanks of an infantry battalion, to preserve accuracy
      in marching. --Farrow.

   {General hospitals} (Mil.), hospitals established to receive
      sick and wounded sent from the field hospitals. --Farrow.

   {General issue} (Law), an issue made by a general plea, which
      traverses the whole declaration or indictment at once,
      without offering any special matter to evade it.
      --Bouvier. --Burrill.

   {General lien} (Law), a right to detain a chattel, etc.,
      until payment is made of any balance due on a general
      account.

   {General officer} (Mil.), any officer having a rank above
      that of colonel.

   {General orders} (Mil.), orders from headquarters published
      to the whole command.

   {General practitioner}, in the United States, one who
      practices medicine in all its branches without confining
      himself to any specialty; in England, one who practices
      both as physician and as surgeon.

   {General ship}, a ship not chartered or let to particular
      parties.

   {General term} (Logic), a term which is the sign of a general
      conception or notion.

   {General verdict} (Law), the ordinary comprehensive verdict
      in civil actions, ``for the plaintiff'' or ``for the
      defendant''. --Burrill.

   {General warrant} (Law), a warrant, now illegal, to apprehend
      suspected persons, without naming individuals.

   Syn: Syn. {General}, {Common}, {Universal}.

   Usage: Common denotes primarily that in which many share; and
          hence, that which is often met with. General is
          stronger, denoting that which pertains to a majority
          of the individuals which compose a genus, or whole.
          Universal, that which pertains to all without
          exception. To be able to read and write is so common
          an attainment in the United States, that we may
          pronounce it general, though by no means universal.