rank
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
ranks
plural
ranks
Britannica Dictionary definition of RANK
1
a
:
a position in a society, organization, group, etc.
[noncount]
-
people of high rank and profession
-
She's not concerned about rank or wealth.
-
Unlike in chess, all the game pieces in checkers are of equal rank. [=value]
[count]
-
officers with the rank of captain
-
He rose to the rank of partner in the law firm.
-
He longed to join the upper social ranks.
-
military ranks such as private, corporal, and sergeant
-
He moved up/rose through the ranks to become vice president of the company.
-
a photographer in the front rank [=an excellent photographer]
-
a writer of the first rank [=an excellent writer]
b
[noncount]
:
a high position in a society, organization, group, etc.
— usually used after of
-
Expensive cars are sometimes seen as a badge of rank.
-
The guest lecturer is a novelist of rank [=of high regard; of esteem] who has won many prestigious awards.
2
ranks
[plural]
a
:
the people or things that belong to a particular organization or group
— often + of
-
A company spokesperson announced that the company will be decreasing its ranks by 200. [=laying off 200 employees]
-
The organization's ranks have doubled in the past two years.
-
The restaurant has made it to the city's front ranks. [=the restaurant is one of the best in the city]
-
More older adults are choosing to join the ranks of college students.
-
the growing/swelling ranks of vegetarians
b
:
the people in the army, navy, air force, etc., who are not officers
-
The flu swept through the ranks, infecting almost every soldier.
-
Several men were selected from the ranks.
3
[count]
:
a row of people or things
—
compare 5file
-
The troops stood in ranks.
-
Twelve soldiers stood in the front rank.
4
break ranks
also break rank
1
:
to step out of a line
-
The soldier was disciplined for breaking ranks.
2
:
to no longer agree with or support a person or group
— often + with
-
The senator decided to break ranks with others in his party and support the proposal.
-
One scientist has broken ranks with her colleagues and questioned the research.
close ranks
:
to join together to support or protect someone or something that is in trouble
-
The police officers closed ranks when their captain was being investigated for misconduct.
-
The family closed ranks to protect one of their own.
pull rank
:
to use your high position in a society, organization, group, etc., to order someone to do something or to get special treatment or privileges
-
He's their boss, but he doesn't like to pull rank (on them) if he can avoid it.
2
rank
/ˈræŋk/
verb
ranks;
ranked;
ranking
2
rank
/ˈræŋk/
verb
ranks;
ranked;
ranking
Britannica Dictionary definition of RANK
not used in progressive tenses
1
a
[+ object]
:
to place (someone or something) in a particular position among a group of people or things that are being judged according to quality, ability, size, etc.
— often used as (be) ranked
—
see also outrank
-
A magazine recently ranked the school as one of the best in the country.
-
The museum is ranked among the best in the U.S.
-
The young gymnast is ranked fifth in the world.
b
[no object]
:
to have a particular position in a group of people or things that are being judged according to quality, ability, size, etc.
-
The city currently ranks as the world's largest.
-
Our professor ranks with/among the best in her field. [=is one of the best in her field]
-
This kind of mistake ranks right up there with [=is as bad as] forgetting your mother's birthday.
-
Students who rank in the top third of their class have a better chance of being accepted to the college of their choice.
2
[+ object]
:
to arrange (people or things) in a line or row
— usually used as (be) ranked
-
The books were neatly ranked in rows.
3
rank
/ˈræŋk/
adjective
3
rank
/ˈræŋk/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of RANK
1
[more rank; most rank]
:
having a strong, unpleasant smell
-
the rank [=foul] smell of the alley
-
a rank odor
2
a
[more rank; most rank]
:
very bad and obvious
-
His rank [=flagrant] dishonesty makes it impossible to trust him.
-
rank [=glaring] hypocrisy
b
always used before a noun
:
complete or total
-
You can't expect a rank beginner like her to know all the rules of the game.
3
of plants
:
growing too quickly and over too much land
