n.
Pronunciation: ' r ə ŋ
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hrung crossbar; akin to Gothic hrunga staff and perhaps to Old English hring ring ― more at RING
Date: 14th century
1 a : a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair b : one of the crosspieces of a ladder
2 Scottish : a heavy staff or cudgel
3 : a spoke of a wheel
4 : a level in a hierarchy <rise a few rung s on the social scale ― H. W. Van Loon>