The Collaborative International Dictionary
Article \Ar"ti*cle\, n. [F., fr. L. articulus, dim. of artus joint, akin to Gr. ?, fr. a root ar to join, fit. See Art, n.]
A distinct portion of an instrument, discourse, literary work, or any other writing, consisting of two or more particulars, or treating of various topics; as, an article in the Constitution. Hence: A clause in a contract, system of regulations, treaty, or the like; a term, condition, or stipulation in a contract; a concise statement; as, articles of agreement.
A literary composition, forming an independent portion of a magazine, newspaper, or cyclopedia.
-
Subject; matter; concern; distinct. [Obs.]
A very great revolution that happened in this article of good breeding.
--Addison.This last article will hardly be believed.
--De Foe. -
A distinct part. ``Upon each article of human duty.''
--Paley. ``Each article of time.''
--Habington.The articles which compose the blood.
--E. Darwin. -
A particular one of various things; as, an article of merchandise; salt is a necessary article.
They would fight not for articles of faith, but for articles of food.
--Landor. -
Precise point of time; moment. [Obs. or Archaic]
This fatal news coming to Hick's Hall upon the article of my Lord Russell's trial, was said to have had no little influence on the jury and all the bench to his prejudice.
--Evelyn. (Gram.) One of the three words, a, an, the, used before nouns to limit or define their application. A (or an) is called the indefinite article, the the definite article.
-
(Zo["o]l.) One of the segments of an articulated appendage.
Articles of Confederation, the compact which was first made by the original thirteen States of the United States. They were adopted March 1, 1781, and remained the supreme law until March, 178
-
Articles of impeachment, an instrument which, in cases of impeachment, performs the same office which an indictment does in a common criminal case.
Articles of war, rules and regulations, fixed by law, for the better government of the army.
In the article of death [L. in articulo mortis], at the moment of death; in the dying struggle.
Lords of the articles (Scot. Hist.), a standing committee of the Scottish Parliament to whom was intrusted the drafting and preparation of the acts, or bills for laws.
The Thirty-nine Articles, statements (thirty-nine in number) of the tenets held by the Church of England.
Wikipedia
The Articles of War are a set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of a country's military and naval forces. The phrase was first used in 1637 in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes regiment etc. (in the form "Articles of warres") and can be used to refer to military law in general. However, the term is usually used more specifically and with the modern spelling and capitalisation to refer to the British regulations drawn up in the wake of the Glorious Revolution and the U.S. regulations later based on them.
Usage examples of "articles of war".
Captain Wemyss has been in the habit of doing this on board his own ship, agreeably to the Articles of War.
God knew he was guilty as charged, and the Articles of War provided only one sentence for cowardice in the face of the enemy.
They also say the seaman's pay stops on the day of the wreck, so no service or obedience is due - the Articles of War no longer apply.
He took up the Articles of War and began to read them as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty had ordained should be done each Sunday in every one of His Britannic Majesty's Ships.
He signed the Articles of War and took the oath while his father and Alice looked on.
Which posed complications of its own, especially in light of the Articles of War's ban on physical intimacy with other military personnel in the same chain of command.
I shall confine myself to the Articles of War, which I do understand and which in any case are obliged to be read once a month.
Although the captain of a man-of-war had immense powers there was little he could do to prevent a man protected by a commission or a warrant from destroying himself so long as he committed no offence against the Articles of War, and this Homer never did.
Who'd covered herself with glory and made him look like a fool on Basilisk Station, and then emerged from Hancock as the unwashed herd's heroine when she herself had violated the Articles of War by refusing to pass command to the unwounded senior officer!
True, the Channel is not all that easy to cross, particularly with craft loaded with fighting men and horses and other articles of war.
But I dare say the fact that I was damnably unwilling to part with seven prime hands made me a little milder than I might have been with a full complement and the Articles of War behind me.