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Meaning of RANK

Pronunciation:  rangk

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [n]  the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army); "the strike was supported by the union rank and file"; "he rose from the ranks to become a colonel"
  2. [n]  the body of members of an organization or group; "they polled their membership"; "they found dissension in their own ranks"; "he joined the ranks of the unemployed"
  3. [n]  a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another; "the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen"
  4. [n]  position in a social hierarchy; "the British are more aware of social status than Americans are"
  5. [n]  relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority"
  6. [adj]  growing profusely; "rank jungle vegetation"
  7. [adj]  conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation of human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross ineptitude"; "gross injustice"; "rank treachery"
  8. [adj]  very fertile; producing profuse growth; "rank earth"
  9. [adj]  very offensive in smell or taste; "a rank cigar"
  10. [v]  assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"
  11. [v]  take or have a position relative to others; "This painting ranks among the best in the Western World"
  12. [v]  take precedence or surpass others in rank
 
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 Synonyms: abundant, conspicuous, crying(a), egregious, fertile, flagrant, glaring, grade, gross, membership, obvious, offensive, order, outrank, place, range, rank and file, rate, social rank, social station, social status
 
 See Also: archidiaconate, baronetcy, barony, be, billionth, body, come, come in, come out, downgrade, dukedom, earldom, eighteenth, eighth, eightieth, eleventh, end man, enlisted man, excel, fifteenth, fifth, fiftieth, first, force, fortieth, fourteenth, fourth, gradation, grade, hundredth, judge, kingship, last, level, line, military rank, military rating, millionth, nineteenth, ninetieth, ninth, number one, organisation, organization, paygrade, personnel, place, position, princedom, prioritise, prioritize, quality, rating, reorder, second, second class, seed, sequence, seventeenth, seventh, seventieth, shortlist, sixteenth, sixth, sixtieth, stand out, station, status, step, subordinate, superordinate, surpass, tenth, third, thirteenth, thirtieth, thousandth, tier, twelfth, twentieth, upgrade, viscountcy, viscounty

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \Rank\, a. [Compar. {Ranker}; superl. {Rankest}.] [AS. ranc
strong, proud; cf. D. rank slender, Dan. rank upright, erect,
Prov. G. rank slender, Icel. rakkr slender, bold. The meaning
seems to have been influenced by L. rancidus, E. rancid.]
1. Luxuriant in growth; of vigorous growth; exuberant; grown
   to immoderate height; as, rank grass; rank weeds.
         And, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one
         stalk, rank and good.                 --Gen. xli. 5.
2. Raised to a high degree; violent; extreme; gross; utter;
   as, rank heresy. ``Rank nonsense.'' --Hare. ``I do forgive
   thy rankest fault.'' --Shak.
3. Causing vigorous growth; producing luxuriantly; very rich
   and fertile; as, rank land. --Mortimer.
4. Strong-scented; rancid; musty; as, oil of a rank smell;
   rank-smelling rue. --Spenser.
5. Strong to the taste. ``Divers sea fowls taste rank of the
   fish on which they feed.'' --Boyle.
6. Inflamed with venereal appetite. [Obs.] --Shak.
{Rank modus} (Law), an excessive and unreasonable modus. See
   {Modus}, 3.
{To set} (the iron of a plane, etc.) {rank}, to set so as to
   take off a thick shaving. --Moxon.

  2. \Rank\, adv.
Rankly; stoutly; violently. [Obs.]
      That rides so rank and bends his lance so fell.
                                               --Fairfax.

  3. \Rank\, n. [OE. renk, reng, OF. renc, F. rang, fr. OHG.
hring a circle, a circular row, G. ring. See {Ring}, and cf.
{Range}, n. & v.]
1. A row or line; a range; an order; a tier; as, a rank of
   osiers.
         Many a mountain nigh Rising in lofty ranks, and
         loftier still.                        --Byron.
2. (Mil.) A line of soldiers ranged side by side; -- opposed
   to file. See 1st {File}, 1
   (a) .
             Fierce, fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
             In ranks and squadrons and right form of war.
                                               --Shak.
3. Grade of official standing, as in the army, navy, or
   nobility; as, the rank of general; the rank of admiral.
4. An aggregate of individuals classed together; a permanent
   social class; an order; a division; as, ranks and orders
   of men; the highest and the lowest ranks of men, or of
   other intelligent beings.
5. Degree of dignity, eminence, or excellence; position in
   civil or social life; station; degree; grade; as, a writer
   of the first rank; a lawyer of high rank.
         These all are virtues of a meaner rank. --Addison.
6. Elevated grade or standing; high degree; high social
   position; distinction; eminence; as, a man of rank.
{Rank and file}.
   (a) (Mil.) The whole body of common soldiers, including
       also corporals. In a more extended sense, it includes
       sergeants also, excepting the noncommissioned staff.
   (b) See under 1st {File}.
{The ranks}, the order or grade of common soldiers; as, to
   reduce a noncommissioned officer to the ranks.
{To fill the ranks}, to supply the whole number, or a
   competent number.
{To take rank of}, to have precedence over, or to have the
   right of taking a higher place than.

  4. \Rank\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ranked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Ranking},]
1. To place abreast, or in a line.
2. To range in a particular class, order, or division; to
   class; also, to dispose methodically; to place in suitable
   classes or order; to classify.
         Ranking all things under general and special heads.
                                               --I. Watts.
         Poets were ranked in the class of philosophers.
                                               --Broome.
         Heresy is ranked with idolatry and witchcraft. --Dr.
                                               H. More.
3. To take rank of; to outrank. [U.S.]

  5. \Rank\, v. i.
1. To be ranged; to be set or disposed, an in a particular
   degree, class, order, or division.
         Let that one article rank with the rest. --Shak.
2. To have a certain grade or degree of elevation in the
   orders of civil or military life; to have a certain degree
   of esteem or consideration; as, he ranks with the first
   class of poets; he ranks high in public estimation.
 
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