in general, signifies common, usual; thus, an ambassador, or envoy in ordinary, is one sent to reside stately, and for a number of years, in the court of some foreign prince or state, in order to keep up a good understanding, and watch over the interest of his own nation.—This term is also applied to several officers in the king's household, who attended on common occasions. Thus we say, physician in ordinary, &c.

ORDINARY, in naval language, denotes the establishment of the persons employed by government to take charge of the ships of war, which are laid up in the several harbours adjacent to the royal dock-yards. These are principally composed of the warrant officers of the said ships, as the gunner, boatswain, carpenter, deputy-purser, and cook, and three servants. There is besides a crew of labourers enrolled in the list of the ordinary, who pass from ship to ship occasionally, to pump, moor, remove, or clean them, whenever it is necessary.

The term ordinary is also applied sometimes to the ships themselves; it is likewise used to distinguish the inferior sailors from the most expert and diligent. The latter are rated able on the navy books, and have higher pay than those who are rated ordinary.

ORDINARY, in common or canon law, means one who has ordinary or immediate jurisdiction in matters ecclesiastical, in any place. In this sense archdeacon is ordinaries, but the appellation is most frequently applied to the bishop of the diocese, who has of course the ordinary ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and the collation to benefices within such diocese. There are some chapels, chapters, abbeys, &c. exempted from the jurisdiction of the ordinary. The archbishop is ordinary of the whole province, to visit, and receive appeals from the inferior judicatories. The Romish writers on canon law call the pope by way of eminence ordinary of ordinaries, since by the Lateran council he has usurped the right of collating, by probation, to all benefices; in exclusion of the common collators.

ORDINARY of Assizes and Sessions, was a deputy of the bishop of the diocese, ancients appointed to give malefactors their neck-verses, and judge whether they read or not: also to perform divine service for them, and assist in preparing them for death. So the Ordinary of Newgate, is one who is attendant in ordinary upon the condemned malefactors in that prison, to prepare them for death; and he records the behaviour of such persons.

ORDINARY, or Honourable Ordinary, in Heraldry, a denomination given to certain charges properly belonging to that art. See Heraldry, Chap. III. sect. i.