About The Word Ordeal
Learn about the word Ordeal to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Ordeal definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.
Ordeal
Ordeal Definition And Meaning |
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What's The Definition Of Ordeal?
[n] a severe or trying experience
Synonyms | Synonyms for Ordeal: Related Terms | Find terms related to Ordeal: acid test | adversity | affliction | anguish | assay | blank determination | brouillon | calvary | criterion | cross | crucial test | crucible | determination | disaster | distress | docimasy | essay | feeling out | fiery ordeal | first draft | ghost dance | grief | hardship | kiteflying | magic circle | misery | misfortune | nightmare | ordeal by battle | probation | proof | rough draft | rough sketch | Sabbat | sounding out | standard | suffering | test | test case | touchstone | tragedy | trial | trials and tribulations | tribulation | tribulations | troubles | try | verification | visitation See Also | experience Ordeal In Webster's Dictionary \Or"de*al\ ([^o]r"d[-e]*al), n. [AS. ord[=a]l, ord[=ae]l,
a judgment; akin to D. oordeel, G. urteil, urtheil; orig.,
what is dealt out, the prefix or- being akin to [=a]-
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.
Note: 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}.
2. Any severe trial, or test; a painful experience.
{Ordeal bean}. (Bot.) See {Calabar bean}, under {Calabar}.
{Ordeal root} (Bot.) the root of a species of {Strychnos}
growing in West Africa, used, like the ordeal bean, in
trials for witchcraft.
{Ordeal tree} (Bot.), a poisonous tree of Madagascar
({Tanghinia, or Cerbera, venenata}). Persons suspected of
crime are forced to eat the seeds of the plumlike fruit,
and criminals are put to death by being pricked with a
lance dipped in the juice of the seeds.
\Or"de*al\, a. Of or pertaining to trial by ordeal. |
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