Wiktionary

ordnance

English edit

Etymology edit

A reduced form of ordinance, which is attested from the late 14th century in the sense of "military equipment or provisions". The sense of "artillery" arises in the early 15th century, the sense "military logistics" in the late 15th century. The shortened form ordnance arises by the 17th century, now often distinguished in writing from the other meanings of ordinance. Also doublet of ordonnance.

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) enPR: ôrdʹnəns, IPA(key): /ˈɔːdnəns/, often /ˈɔːdɪnəns/
    • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (US) enPR: ôrdʹnəns, IPA(key): /ˈoɹdnəns/, very often /ˈoɹdɪnəns/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Homophone: ordinance (some pronunciations)

Noun edit

ordnance (countable and uncountable, plural ordnances)

  1. Military equipment, especially weapons and ammunition.
    • 1624, John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVI., in The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Donne, ed. Charles M. Coffin, New York: Modern Library (1952), pp. 438-40:
      When the Turkes took Constantinople, they melted the Bells into Ordnance; I have heard both Bells and Ordnance, but never been so much affected with those, as with these Bells.
  2. Artillery.

Usage notes edit

  • Although prescriptive authorities say this word should now be pronounced with only two syllables, the original pronunciation with three syllables (like ordinance, from which this word derives) remains very common. (Shakespeare used both.[1][2])

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

With prefixes

Translations edit

References edit

  1. ^ Dale F. Coye, Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words: A Guide from A to Zounds, 2014, pages 138, 208, 305
  2. ^ Shakespeare Words, ordnance, ordinance (n.)
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