ordeal: Meaning and Definition of

or•deal

Pronunciation: (ôr-dēl', -dē'ul, ôr'dēl), [key]
— n.
  1. any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial.
  2. a primitive form of trial to determine guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to fire, poison, or other serious danger, the result being regarded as a divine or preternatural judgment.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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