minor order

American  

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. the degree or grade of acolyte, exorcist, lector, or ostiary.

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Etymology

Origin of minor order

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

When biologists talk about whip spiders, they invariably categorize them as a minor order of arachnids — meaning a branch that encompasses fewer species than spiders or scorpions.

From Salon

But minor order also has a whiff of neglect.

From Scientific American

“Now we have women installed to what was a minor order,” she said.

From New York Times

There is also available some information in Xenophon's Essay upon the Revenues, Aristotle's Constitution of Athens, Lycurgus' prosecution of Diphilos, the Tablets of the Poletae, and many incidental references and inscriptions of minor order.

From Project Gutenberg

To speak summarily, for a strong centralisation there must be, besides one nucleus, or nucleus of the first order, a certain number of nuclei of the second or minor order, and sometimes there must be nuclei of the third and lower orders.

From Project Gutenberg