I. ˈrānj noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French renge, from renc, reng line, place, row — more at rank
1.
a. : a row or rank usually of people or animals
the first range of soldiers
pupils in a range
b. : a series of things in line: as
(1) : a line of buildings or sections of a building
in a range of buildings near the house was a dairy and meat store — H.V.Morton
a big nursery over which was a range of attics — David Garnett
(2) : a row or course of masonry with the horizontal joints continuous
(3) : a series of double-faced sections of shelves in a stack abutting one another and usually terminating in aisles at each end
(4) : a greenhouse establishment often having several houses that may be connected
2.
a. : a grate let down when required over an open fire to support cooking utensils
b. : a cooking apparatus enclosing controlled heat (as from wood, coal, gas, electricity) and having a flat top with solid plates or open racks to hold utensils over flames or coils and an oven and sometimes also a storage space for utensils or a second oven
3.
a. : something that may be ranged over : place or room for excursion
b. : an open region over which cattle, sheep, or other livestock may roam and feed : pasturage especially when unenclosed
low-lying valley bottoms … providing meager amounts of winter range — T.R.Weir
c. : the region throughout which a kind of organism or ecological community naturally lives or occurs
the elk range in the Rocky mountain area — T.W.Daniels
this snail thrived and spread …, its range being directly increased — Joyce Allan
4.
a. : the act of ranging about or of roving : excursion , ramble
taking the dogs for a range
b. : freedom to range : opportunity to roam about
giving the horses free range
5.
a.
(1) : the horizontal distance to which a shot or other projectile is or may be propelled
the gun has a range of six miles
(2) : the horizontal distance of the target or thing aimed at from a weapon
(3) : a place where shooting (as with bows, guns, or missiles) is practiced
b. : the maximum distance an airplane or other vehicle (as a tank) can travel without refueling — compare radius 4d
c. : the average distance radioactive or other projected particles of a given type will penetrate a given medium before their velocity is reduced to less than a detectable value
6. : an aggregate of individuals in one order : a social class
in the lower ranges of the council — F.M.Stenton
at the lowest range the family, at the uppermost the state — B.N.Cardozo
7.
a. : a large cleat in the waist of a sailing ship for handling lines
b. : a length of slack cable ranged along the deck preparatory to letting go the anchor
8.
a. : the space or extent included, covered, or used
a faith worldwide in its range and power — Norman Goodall
b. : a field of operation : an area actively occupied or used
lanterns at night to attract fish within range of net or spear — Lamp
c. : the scope or span usually of activity, experience, or knowledge
a technical vocabulary a little outside my range — Wolcott Gibbs
d. : compass 1d
9. : a direction line : direction
the buoys in range with the pier
10.
a.
(1) : a series or chain of mountain peaks considered as forming one connected system : a ridge of mountains
from the summit they could see range after range of mountains
(2) : mountainous country — often used in plural
b. : a mineral belt ; especially : an iron-bearing formation
11.
a. : a sequence, series, or scale between limits
a wide range of patterns
a range of possible solutions — W.S.Campbell
b. : the limits of a series : the distance or extent between possible extremes
spring tides … have a greater range — C.F.Chapman
12.
a.
(1) : a strip of leather cut from a butt or hide
(2) : the lie or line of the upper edge of the counter in a top boot
(3) : the cutting of a butt or side of sole leather into strips
b. : a part of a hide
13. : one of the north-south rows of townships in a United States public-land survey that are numbered east and west from the principal meridian of the survey
14.
a. : a set of points lying on a line (as on the axis of an independent variable at which a function is defined)
b. : the difference between the least and greatest values of the attribute or variable of a frequency distribution
15. : the class of admissible values of a variable
16. : a gage for determining the thickness of glass
17. : a group of shipping ports within an area for which the same rates are charged
18. : radio range
Synonyms:
gamut , reach , radius , compass , sweep , scope , orbit , horizon , ken , purview : range is the general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities
safe, well out of the range of the pursuers
a beautiful voice with a wide range between the high and the low tones — Havelock Ellis
a creative writer can do his best only with what lies within the range and character of his deepest sympathies — Willa Cather
the whole range of Greek political life — G.L.Dickinson
gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another
types of light each occupying its particular place in that far-reaching roster or gamut which is called the spectrum — K.K.Darrow
reach suggests an extent of perception, knowledge, ability, or activity attained to or experienced by or as if by stretching out
moving step by step toward the widest generalizations within his reach — L.J.Henderson
out of reach of the first invading forces
anything like sustained reasoning was beyond his reach — Leslie Stephen
radius suggests an area, usually circular, of activity, implied by a known or determined center
the town's history has been the history of coal; within a radius of five miles are twelve large mines — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
compass indicates an extent, sometimes more limited than that suggested by range , of perception, knowledge, or activity; it is likely to connote a bounding circumference
the powers expressly granted to the government … are to be contracted … into the narrowest possible compass — John Marshall
here we get in very small compass … as many different reminders of the continuity of the country … as you will find anywhere — S.P.B.Mais
sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity, which latter notion it more strongly suggests than the preceding terms
the boldness and sweep of Webster's original scheme appear plainly — Kemp Malone
in the sweep of their universal robbery, they showed at least no discrimination between native and foreign victims — Osbert Sitwell
scope is applicable to an area of activity, an area predetermined and limited, but an area of free choice within the set limits
its scope was widened by the legislature to include other departments — American Guide Series: Texas
the infinite scope for personal initiative in business — G.B.Shaw
orbit suggests a range of activity or influence, often circumscribed and bounded, within which forces work toward accustoming, integrating, absorbing
communities … outside the orbit of modernity — Walter Lippmann
the war as a gigantic cosmic drama, embracing every quarter of the globe and the whole orbit of man's life — John Buchan
horizon suggests an area, perhaps arc-shaped or semicircular, of knowledge, interest, perception; it may suggest the new or the potential or envisioned
science has provided a new frontier with unlimited horizons — A.H.Compton
possibilities he hadn't known were upon its horizon — Mary Austin
ken indicates range of perception or cognizance
they seemed trivial at the time they came into his ken — W.A.White
the bulk of his known reading, until the great Italians swam into his ken, was French — J.L.Lowes
purview may indicate either range of perception or knowledge or range of authority or competence
the inclusion of dependent areas within the purview of Point Four — Rupert Emerson
the problem of ethnic variation falls very definitely within the purview of the student of the social life of man — M.F.A.Montagu
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English raungen, rangen, from Middle French ranger to set in a row, place, station, from Old French rengier, from renc, reng line, place, row — more at rank
transitive verb
1.
a. : to set in a row : place in a regular line : dispose in the proper order
half a dozen straight-backed chairs are ranged in front of the desk — Philip Hamburger
the women, ranged along the north side, wore their usual dress — Oliver LaFarge
b. : to place among others in a given position or situation
ranged himself with the reform movement — Charles Moore
came and ranged yourself beside me — T.B.Costain
2.
a. : to rove over or through : roam
took his fine new rifle and ranged the woods — S.H.Holbrook
b. : to cause to pass over
ranged his eyes over the scene before him
3. : to dispose in a classified or systematic order : place in a class, rank, or category
range plants in genera
4. : to sail or pass along or about usually in a direction parallel to or near
had been out the night before, ranging the enemy coast — Irwin Shaw
5. : to arrange (an anchor cable) on deck
6. chiefly Britain : align ; specifically : to place (a line of type) so that one end is flush with the end of a preceding or following line
7. : to graze or pasture (livestock) on or as if on a range
on the uplands thousands of head of cattle are ranged each year — Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review
8. : to determine the elevation necessary for (a gun) to propel a projectile to a given distance : give (a gun) such elevation
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to roam here and there : rove at large
the custom … to range through the town on the last night of carnival — P.L.Fermor
ranged like a grey moose … guiding himself by the sun — Van Wyck Brooks
ranging around remote parts of England — Max Beerbohm
(2) : to move out or about freely : survey especially with the mind
has ranged among the masterpieces of past and present art — William Barrett
talk ranged widely, even in aesthetics — H.S.Canby
likes to range over current issues — Newsweek
b. : to move over an area so as to explore it more or less thoroughly
ranging about in search of some promising spot upon which to pitch the … tent — F.V.W.Mason
the beagle will not range too far afield of the hunter — Time
2. : to take a position
ranged with the great pillars and supporters of our art — Joshua Reynolds
3. archaic : to be fickle or inconstant
given to range — Lord Byron
4.
a. : to correspond in direction or line
b. chiefly Britain : align
these two type faces, although of the same size, do not range well
c. : to have or extend in a particular direction : run in a line
the fence ranges with the street
5.
a. : to have range : be capable of projecting or to admit of being projected
the gun ranges over three miles
the shot ranged along a four mile course
b. : to obtain the range of an object by firing alternately over and short of it altering the elevation after each shot until a hit is made
6. : to change or differ within limits
its products range from carpet tacks to pig iron — American Guide Series: New York
discounts range from 20 5 to 40 5 — Nathan Kelne
7. of an organism : to live or occur in or be native to an indicated district or region
the hardy ring-necked pheasant … ranges over all but the most northern areas — American Guide Series: Minnesota
8. : to obtain the range of an object by means of a range finder