Being ordained his special governor.
Shak.
4. (Eccl.) To invest with ministerial or sacerdotal functions; to
introduce into the office of the Christian ministry, by the laying on
of hands, or other forms; to set apart by the ceremony of ordination.
Meletius was ordained by Arian bishops.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Or*dain"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being ordained; worthy to be ordained
or appointed. Bp. Hall.
Or*dain"er (?), n. One who ordains.
Or*dain"ment (?), n. Ordination. [R.] Burke.
Or"dal (?), n. Ordeal. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Or*da"li*an (?), a. [LL. ordalium.] Of or pertaining to trial by
ordeal. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Or"de*al (ôr"d*al), n. [AS. ordl, ordl, a judgment; akin to D. oordeel,
G. urteil, urtheil; orig., what is dealt out, the prefix or- being akin
to - compounded with verbs, G. er-, ur- , Goth. us-, orig. meaning,
out. See Deal, v. & n., and cf. Arise, Ort.] 1. An ancient form of test
to determine guilt or innocence, by appealing to a supernatural
decision, -- once common in Europe, and still practiced in the East and
by savage tribes.
In England ordeal by fire and ordeal by water were used, the former
confined to persons of rank, the latter to the common people. The
ordeal by fire was performed, either by handling red-hot iron, or by
walking barefoot and blindfold over red-hot plowshares, laid at unequal
distances. If the person escaped unhurt, he was adjudged innocent;
otherwise he was condemned as guilty. The ordeal by water was
performed, either by plunging the bare arm to the elbow in boiling
water, an escape from injury being taken as proof of innocence, or by
casting the accused person, bound hand and foot, into a river or pond,
when if he floated it was an evidence of guilt, but if he sunk he was
acquitted. It is probable that the proverbial phrase, to go through
fire and water, denoting severe trial or danger, is derived from the
ordeal. See Wager of battle, under Wager.