rank 1
— rankless , adj.
/rangk/ , n.
1. a number of persons forming a separate class in a social hierarchy or in any graded body.
2. a social or official position or standing, as in the armed forces: the rank of captain.
3. high position or station in the social or some similar scale: a woman of rank.
4. a class in any scale of comparison.
5. relative position or standing: a writer of the first rank.
6. a row, line, or series of things or persons: orchestra players arranged in ranks.
7. ranks ,
a. the members of an armed service apart from its officers; enlisted personnel.
b. military enlisted personnel as a group.
8. Usually, ranks . the general body of any party, society, or organization apart from the officers or leaders.
9. orderly arrangement; array.
10. a line of persons, esp. soldiers, standing abreast in close-order formation (distinguished from file ).
11. Brit. a place or station occupied by vehicles available for hire; stand: a taxi rank.
12. Chess. one of the horizontal lines of squares on a chessboard.
13. a set of organ pipes of the same kind and tonal color.
14. Also called determinant rank . Math. the order of the nonzero determinant of greatest order that can be selected from a given matrix by the elimination of rows and columns.
15. Mining. the classification of coal according to hardness, from lignite to anthracite.
16. break ranks ,
a. to leave an assigned position in a military formation.
b. to disagree with, defect from, or refuse to support one's colleagues, party, or the like.
17. pull rank (on) , to make use of one's superior rank to gain an advantage over (someone). Also, pull one's rank (on) .
v.t.
18. to arrange in ranks or in regular formation: The men were ranked according to height. He ranked the chess pieces on the board.
19. to assign to a particular position, station, class, etc.: She was ranked among the most admired citizens.
20. to outrank: The colonel ranks all other officers in the squadron.
21. Slang. to insult; criticize.
v.i.
22. to form a rank or ranks.
23. to take up or occupy a place in a particular rank, class, etc.: to rank well ahead of the other students.
24. to have rank or standing.
25. to be the senior in rank: The colonel ranks at this camp.
26. Slang. to complain.
[ 1560-70; ranc (n., obs.), OF renc, ranc, rang row, line 1 ]
Syn. 3. distinction, eminence, dignity. 6. range, tier. 9. alignment. 18. align, range, array.
rank 2
— rankish , adj. — rankly , adv. — rankness , n.
/rangk/ , adj., ranker, rankest .
1. growing with excessive luxuriance; vigorous and tall of growth: tall rank weeds.
2. producing an excessive and coarse growth, as land.
3. having an offensively strong smell or taste: a rank cigar.
4. offensively strong, as a smell or taste.
5. utter; absolute: a rank amateur; rank treachery.
6. highly offensive; disgusting: a rank sight of carnage.
7. grossly coarse, vulgar, or indecent: rank language.
8. Slang. inferior; contemptible.
[ bef. 1000; ME; OE ranc bold, proud; c. ON rakkr straight, bold ]
Syn. 1. abundant, exuberant. 5. complete, sheer, entire. 6. repulsive, repellent. See flagrant. 7. foul.