a market-town of England, county of Lancaster, 12 miles N. by E. of Liverpool, and 42 S. by W. of Lancaster. It is clean and well built. From the market-place in the centre, in which stands a town-hall, four well-paved streets diverge at right angles. The church, a large building, which was rebuilt in 1729, has a tower and a spire separated from one another. It contains the tombs of the Earls of Derby. There are also places of worship in the town and neighbourhood belonging to Methodists, Independents, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. Ormskirk has several schools, literary societies, a savings-bank, dispensary, almshouses, &c. The place is famous for the gingerbread made here; but the chief occupations of the people are handloom-weaving, rope-making, and brewing. Near this place, in 1644, the Royalists were defeated by the Parliamentary troops with great slaughter. Pop. (1851) 5548.