\Rate\, v. t. & i. [Perh. fr. E. rate, v. t., to value at a
certain rate, to estimate, but more prob. fr. Sw. rata to
find fault, to blame, to despise, to hold cheap; cf. Icel.
hrat refuse, hrati rubbish.]
To chide with vehemence; to scold; to censure violently.
--Spencer.
      Go, rate thy minions, proud, insulting boy! --Shak.
      Conscience is a check to beginners in sin, reclaiming
      them from it, and rating them for it.    --Barrow.

\Rate\, n. [OF., fr. L. rata (sc. pars), fr. ratus
reckoned, fixed by calculation, p. p. of reri to reckon, to
calculate. Cf. {Reason}.]
1. Established portion or measure; fixed allowance.
         The one right feeble through the evil rate, Of food
         which in her duress she had found.    --Spenser.
2. That which is established as a measure or criterion;
   degree; standard; rank; proportion; ratio; as, a slow rate
   of movement; rate of interest is the ratio of the interest
   to the principal, per annum.
         Heretofore the rate and standard of wit was
         different from what it is nowadays.   --South.
         In this did his holiness and godliness appear above
         the rate and pitch of other men's, in that he was so
         . . . merciful.                       --Calamy.
         Many of the horse could not march at that rate, nor
         come up soon enough.                  --Clarendon.
3. Variation; prise fixed with relation to a standard; cost;
   charge; as, high or low rates of transportation.
         They come at dear rates from Japan.   --Locke.
4. A tax or sum assessed by authority on property for public
   use, according to its income or value; esp., in England, a
   local tax; as, parish rates; town rates.
5. Order; arrangement. [Obs.]
         Thus sat they all around in seemly rate. --Spenser.
6. Ratification; approval. [R.] --Chapman.
7. (Horol.) The gain or loss of a timepiece in a unit of
   time; as, daily rate; hourly rate; etc.
8. (Naut.)
   (a) The order or class to which a war vessel belongs,
       determined according to its size, armament, etc.; as,
       first rate, second rate, etc.
   (b) The class of a merchant vessel for marine insurance,
       determined by its relative safety as a risk, as A1,
       A2, etc.

\Rate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rated}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Rating}.]
1. To set a certain estimate on; to value at a certain price
   or degree.
         To rate a man by the nature of his companions is a
         rule frequent indeed, but not infallible. --South.
         You seem not high enough your joys to rate.
                                               --Dryden.
2. To assess for the payment of a rate or tax.
3. To settle the relative scale, rank, position, amount,
   value, or quality of; as, to rate a ship; to rate a
   seaman; to rate a pension.
4. To ratify. [Obs.] ``To rate the truce.'' --Chapman.
{To rate a chronometer}, to ascertain the exact rate of its
   gain or loss as compared with true time, so as to make an
   allowance or computation depended thereon.
Syn: To value; appraise; estimate; reckon.

\Rate\, v. i.
1. To be set or considered in a class; to have rank; as, the
   ship rates as a ship of the line.
2. To make an estimate.