ord
nounAU, IN, UK /ˈɔːd/ · CA, US /ˈɔːɹd/
Etymology From Middle English ord (“point, point of a weapon, beginning”), from Old English ord (“point, spear-point, spear, source, beginning, front, vanguard”), from Proto-West Germanic *oʀd, from Proto-Germanic *uzdaz (“point”), of obscure origin (see *uzdaz). Cognate with North Frisian od (“tip, place, beginning”), Dutch oord (“place, region”), German Ort (“location, place, position”), Danish od (“a point”), Swedish udd (“a point, prick”), Icelandic oddur (“tip, point of a weapon, leader”). See also odd.
- "[...] But such is life — hard upon hard from ord to end; and if I had not been made of the best of neat-leather, the longer in water the tougher, I would have melted away with my tears long ago!"1897, Frank Cowan, The millionaire:
- [...] Tell me wholly as it was From ord to end how it did pass When first your father was of me ware.1924, Adriaan Jacob Barnouw Esmoreit, An ingenious play of Esmoreit: the king's son of Sicily:
- When a man came from Sutherland into Caithness over the Ord [of Caithness, in the southern tip of the county], he was called an ord-louper .1900, Cai.
- Saul drew his sword, And ran even upon the ord. — Cursor Mundi.
- And touched him with the spear's ord. — Romance of Sir Otuel.
1 more example
- Hadubraht, the son of Hiltibrant, said, "Gladly gifts should be received; ord (spear's point) against ord.1814, Henry William Weber, Robert Jamieson, Sir Walter Scott, Illustrations of northern antiquities:
- Derived terms
- odds and ends