n. & v.
n. 1 succession, coming after or next. 2 order of succession (shall follow the sequence of events; give the facts in historical sequence). 3 a set of things belonging next to one another on some principle of order; a series without gaps. 4 a part of a film dealing with one scene or topic. 5 a set of poems on one theme. 6 a set of three or more playing-cards next to one another in value. 7 Mus. repetition of a phrase or melody at a higher or lower pitch. 8 Eccl. a hymn said or sung after the Gradual or Alleluia that precedes the Gospel. 9 succession without implication of causality (opp. CONSEQUENCE).
v.tr. 1 arrange in a definite order. 2 Biochem. ascertain the sequence of monomers in (esp. a polypeptide or nucleic acid). sequence of tenses Gram. the dependence of the tense of a subordinate verb on the tense of the principal verb, according to certain rules (e.g. I think you are, thought you were, wrong). sequencer n.
[ ME f. LL sequentia f. L sequens pres. part. of sequi follow ]