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ordealmore about ordeal

ordeal

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ordeal  \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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ordeal  \Or"de*al\,  a. 
  Of  or  pertaining  to  trial  by  ordeal. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ordeal 
  n  :  a  severe  or  trying  experience




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