rank Hear it!

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rank1 definition

rank (raŋk)

noun

  1. a row, line, or series
  2. an orderly arrangement
  3. a social division or class; stratum of society people from all ranks of life
  4. a high position in society; high degree; eminence a person of rank
  5. an official grade or position the rank of captain
  6. a relative position, usually in a scale classifying persons or things; grade; degree a poet of the first rank
  7. any of the rows of squares on a chessboard extending from side to side, perpendicular to the files
  8. Mil.
    1. a row of soldiers, vehicles, etc. placed side by side, or abreast of one another
    2. the body of soldiers of an army, as distinguished from the officers [to rise from the ranks]: often used metaphorically to refer to the ordinary members of any group, as opposed to its leaders
  9. Music stop ()

Etymology: MFr renc < OFr ranc, renc: see range

transitive verb

  1. to place in a rank or ranks
  2. to assign a certain rank, or position, to
  3. ☆ to have a higher rank than; outrank

intransitive verb

  1. to hold a certain rank, or position to rank third on a list
  2. Archaic to form a rank or move in ranks
rank Idioms

pull (one's) rank on

Slang to take advantage of one's military rank in enforcing commands or one's high position or seniority in making demands on (a subordinate)
rank2 definition

rank (raŋk)

adjective

  1. growing vigorously and coarsely; overly luxuriant rank grass
  2. producing or covered with a luxuriant crop; extremely fertile
  3. strong and offensive in smell or taste; rancid
  4. in bad taste; coarse
  5. complete; utter rank deceit
  6. Obsolete in sexual heat

Etymology: ME ranke < OE ranc, strong, proud, akin to MLowG rank, slender, erect, long and thin < IE base *reĝ-, put in order, stretch out > right

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
rank Synonyms

rank

modif.

  1. Having luxurious growth

    wild, dense, lush, vigorous, tall of growth, tropical, semitropical, overabundant, jungly, fertile, rich, productive, high-growing, fructiferous, coarse, overgrown, luxuriant, exuberant, profuse, prolific, lavish, excessive, rampant, extreme; see also green 2, thick 1.

    Antonyms sparse, thin*, barren. *

  2. Having a foul odor

    smelly, fetid, putrid, stinking, rancid, disagreeable, smelling, offensive, sour, foul, fusty, noisome, noxious, stale, tainted, gamy, musty, strong, putrescent, rotten, moldy, high, ill-smelling, turned, nauseating, obnoxious, disgusting, reeking, mephitic, malodorous, ordurous, nasty, feculent, strong-smelling, graveolent.

    Antonyms fragrant, sweet*, fresh. *

  3. Corrupt

    gross, coarse, indecent; see outrageous, wicked 1.

  4. Utter

    complete, outright, flagrant; see absolute 1.


rank

n.

  1. A row

    column, file, series, string; see line 1.

  2. Degree

    seniority, standing, station, authority, status, grade, class, order, level, sphere; see also degree 2.

  3. Social eminence

    station, position, status, distinction, note, nobility, class, caste, privilege, standing, reputation, quality, situation, esteem, condition, state, place, place in society, circumstance, footing, grade, blood, family, pedigree, ancestry, stock, parentage, birth.

pull rank on*

take advantage of, exploit, abuse subordinates; see abuse 1, command 1, 2.


rank

v.

  1. To arrange in a row or rows

    array, put in line, line up, place in formation; see line 4, order 3.

  2. To evaluate comparatively

    rate, grade, sort, order, arrange, dispose, place, put, regard, judge, assign, classify, give precedence to, fix, establish, settle, estimate, value, valuate, list, prioritize; see also classify.

  3. To possess relative evaluation

    be worth, stand, have a place, head, go ahead of, go before, be anterior to, come first, forerun, antecede, have supremacy over, have the advantage of, precede, outrank, take the lead, take precedence, belong, count among, be classed, stand in relationship.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rank Usage Examples

Object

  • passu: The shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary share capital of Highway.

Converse of object

  • swell: The Soviet Republic replied by swelling the ranks of the Red Army to five million and launching the contentious march on Warsaw.

Adjective modifier

  • serried: The great and the good had come from all over the world and they sat in serried ranks to pay their last homage.

Adjective complement

  • #1: I am ranked #1 for that silly phrase at Google.

Noun used with modifier

  • taxi: The taxi rank is along side the terminal building.

Present participle complement

  • accord: A preliminary investigation produces a list of areas ranked according to the number of occurrences.

Preposition: in

  • quartile: Leicester was ranked in the top quartile of cities suitable for public sector relocation - the only city to rank in all relocation scenarios.

Preposition: of

  • colonel: Rose to the rank of colonel in the New Model Army and was a close political associate of John Lambert.

Modifies a noun

  • outsider: Port Vale, MK Dons, Colchester and Blackpool are unfancied 40-1 shots, with Chesterfield rank outsiders at 66-1.
rank usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

rank quotes

'Tis pride, rank pride, and haughtiness of soul; I think the Romans call it stoicism.

-Addison,Joseph

   Un homme n'a jamais pu e¤  lever sa ma|"tresse jusqu'a'   lui; mais une femme place toujours son amant aussi haut qu'elle. A man can never elevate his mistress to his rank, but a woman can always place her lover as high as she.

-Balzac, Honore¤   de

Is there for honest Poverty That hings his head, and a'that; The coward-slave, we pass him by, We dare be poor for a'that! For a'that, and a'that, Our toils obscure, and a'that, The rank is but the guinea's stamp, The man's the gowd for a'that.

-Burns, Robert

rank quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"rank." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/rank>

APA Style

rank. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/rank

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