Order | Mean of order in English Dictionary

/ˈoɚdɚ/

• Noun
• a statement made by a person with authority that tells someone to do something
1. The captain was barking out orders [=commands] to the crew.
2. That's an order, not a request!
3. Failing to comply with an order will result in the loss of your job.
4. She received an order to appear in court.
5. They can't close down the school without an order from the governor's office.
6. The mayor gave/issued an order to evacuate the city.
7. It's not his fault. He was only following/obeying orders.
8. I'm not taking orders from you! You're not my boss.
9. She left the hospital against her doctor's orders. [=her doctor told her not to leave, but she left anyway]
10. The soldiers were under (strict) orders to shoot anything that moved.
11. The city was evacuated by order of the mayor.
• a specific request asking a company to supply goods or products to a customer
1. The store received an order for 200 roses this morning.
2. They had trouble filling large customer orders.
3. I placed a book order [=an order for a book] yesterday.
4. I'd like to cancel my order.
5. We offer free shipping on orders over 50 dollars.
6. We don't have that CD in the store right now, but we do have it on order. [=we have ordered it but it has not yet been delivered]
7. The book is on (special) order from the publisher.
8. Dresses in larger sizes are available by special order.
• a product or a group of products that someone has requested from a company
1. We shipped your order last Thursday.

• a request for food or drinks made at a restaurant
1. The waiter still hasn't come to take our order.
2. May I take your order?
3. Please wait in this line to place your order.
• the food and drinks that someone has requested at a restaurant
1. Your order will be ready any minute now.
2. Is this order for here or to go? [=do you want to eat in this restaurant or take the food somewhere else?]
• an amount of food that is served at a restaurant
1. I'd like a large order of French fries, please.
2. I'd like a hamburger with a side order of fries. [=I'd like an order of fries with my hamburger]
• the particular way that things or events are organized in a list or series
1. Roll the dice to determine the order of play. [=to decide who will play first, second, third, etc.]
2. The names were listed in no particular order.
3. He remembers things happening in a different order.
4. The actors' names are listed in the order of their appearance. = They are listed in the order in which they appear.
5. Do these steps in the correct/proper/right order.
6. a series of jobs listed in order of difficulty/importance/size
7. The top three contestants were named in random order.
8. Her CDs are arranged in alphabetical order according to the artists' names.
9. a series of events given in chronological/historical order
10. They rank the wines in ascending/descending order according to their quality.
11. The movie tells the story of her life in reverse order. [=from the end to the beginning]
12. The books on those shelves are out of order. They need to be put in order.
• an organized and proper state or condition
1. Two weeks after the disaster, he has managed to bring order out of (the) chaos.
2. Hundreds of families are struggling to get/put their lives back in order after the earthquake.
3. Get your passport in order before you leave for your trip.
4. All her documents were in order.
5. She makes sure the organization's finances are in good order.
6. Drivers must keep their trucks clean and in (good) working order. [=working properly]
• the state in which people behave properly, follow rules or laws, and respect authority
1. Our leaders must restore order to the city.
2. the loss of public order
3. Some teachers have trouble maintaining order in the classroom.
4. a lack of order and discipline
5. “Order, order in the court!” the judge shouted at the unruly men.
• a social or political system
1. These young activists dared to challenge the established social order.
2. calling for the end of the old order
3. a new world order
4. They seem to have accepted poverty as part of the natural order of things.
• a level of quality or excellence
1. a teacher of the first/highest order [=an excellent teacher]
2. Their customer service is of a higher order than that of their competitors.
• a social class
1. servants and other members of the lower orders
• a group of related plants or animals that is larger than a family
1. humans, apes, and other members of the order Primates
• a large organization of people who have similar jobs or interests and who give help to other members
1. the Masonic Order
2. the Fraternal Order of Police
• a religious organization whose members usually live together and promise to follow special rules and traditions
1. joining a religious/monastic order
2. an order of Catholic missionaries
• a group of people who have been given an honor or reward by a country's ruler
1. The Queen made him a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
• to say that (something, such as a meeting or court session) should begin
1. She called the meeting to order at 8:15.
2. His lawyer arrived 10 minutes before court was called to order.
• appropriate or desirable
1. After finishing that three-year project, I decided that a vacation was in order.
2. An apology is in order, I believe.
• to make it possible for someone or something to be or to do something
1. In order for companies to be successful, they have to sell their products at competitive prices.
2. We all have to work together in order for us to win. = We can win, but in order for that to happen, we all have to work together.
3. They were told that in order for them to keep their jobs, they would have to accept a cut in pay.
• to make it possible for something to happen
1. In order to succeed, companies have to sell their products at competitive prices.
2. People come here in order to give their children a better life.
3. She has to work two jobs in order to [=so that she can] support her family.
4. I checked my bags twice in order to make sure that I had everything.
• around or about (a specified number)
1. The government has spent on the order of [=approximately] ten million dollars on the project.
2. He receives something on the order of 100 e-mails a day.
• not working properly
1. The elevator's out of order [=broken] again. We'll have to take the stairs.
2. The sign on the coffee machine says “out of order.”
• not following the formal rules of a meeting, court session, etc.
1. At the last town council meeting, her proposal was ruled out of order by the mayor.
2. The mayor ruled her out of order.
• beyond what is reasonable or allowable
1. Your behavior was completely out of order. [=out of line]
2. His comments were out of order.
• in response to a specific order or request
1. Everything in this restaurant is cooked to order.
• Verb
• to use your authority to tell someone to do something
1. They ordered everyone out of the house.
2. The soldiers were ordered back to the base.
3. “Stop! Drop your weapon!” ordered the officer.
4. The police officer ordered him to stop and drop his weapon.
5. The soldiers were ordered to return to the base.
6. Everyone on the ship was ordered to put on their life jackets.
7. I order you to leave this instant!
• to say that (something) must be done
1. The court threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial.
2. The judge ordered that the charges be dismissed.
3. He was accused of ordering the murder of his wife.
• to place an order for (something): such as
• to request (something) from a company
1. I ordered the books from the company's Web site.
2. The shirt you ordered should arrive in the mail in a couple of days.
3. To order, call the number at the bottom of your screen.
4. Order now and receive a free gift!
• to request (food or drinks) from a restaurant
1. I'd like to order a large cheese pizza.
2. She sat down at the bar and ordered a drink.
3. Would you like me to order you a drink? = Would you like me to order a drink for you?
4. I had the fish and he ordered the steak.
5. Do you know what you're going to order?
6. “Are you ready to order?” the waiter asked.
7. We've already ordered.
• to organize (things) in a particular list or series
1. The books are ordered [=arranged] alphabetically by author.
• to give orders to (someone)
1. He was tired of being ordered [=bossed] around by his parents and teachers.
2. You can't just come in here and start ordering people around.