~ 1
■ noun
1》 a position within a fixed hierarchy, especially that of the armed forces.
2》 high social standing.
3》 a single line of soldiers or police officers drawn up abreast.
↘a regular row or line of things or people.
4》 ( the ~s ) (in the armed forces) those who are not commissioned officers.
5》 ( ~s ) the people belonging to or constituting a group or class: the ~s of the unemployed.
6》 Chess each of the eight rows of eight squares running from side to side across a chessboard. Compare with file 2 (in sense 3).
7》 Brit. short for taxi ~ .
8》 Mathematics the value or the order of the largest non-zero determinant of a given matrix.
■ verb
1》 give (someone or something) a ~ within a grading system.
2》 hold a specified ~.
3》 US take precedence over (someone) in respect to ~.
4》 arrange in a row or rows.
Phrases
break ~ (or ~s )
1》 (of soldiers or police officers) fail to remain in line.
2》 fail to maintain solidarity.
close ~s
1》 (of soldiers or police officers) come closer together in a line.
2》 unite in order to defend common interests.
pull ~ take unfair advantage of one's seniority.
Origin
ME: from OFr. ranc , of Gmc origin; related to ring 1 .
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~ 2
■ adjective
1》 having a foul smell.
2》 (especially of something bad) complete; utter: ~ stupidity.
3》 (of vegetation) growing too thickly.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
Origin
OE ranc 'proud, rebellious, sturdy', also 'fully grown', of Gmc origin.