ordinal. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

ordinal

SYLLABICATION:	or·di·nal
PRONUNCIATION:	ôrdn-l
ADJECTIVE:	1. Being of a specified position in a numbered series: an ordinal rank of seventh. 2. Of or relating to a taxonomic order.
NOUN:	1. An ordinal number. 2. Ecclesiastical a. A book of instructions for daily services. b. A book of forms for ordination.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English ordinel, orderly, regular, from Late Latin rdinlis, ordinal, from Latin rd, rdin-, order. See ar- in Appendix I. N., sense 2, from Middle English, from Medieval Latin rdinle, from Late Latin, neuter sing. of rdinlis, ordinal.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.