Noun | 1. | rank - a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another; "the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen" |
2. | rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority" | |
3. | rank - the ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army); "the strike was supported by the union rank and file"; "he rose from the ranks to become a colonel" Synonyms: rank and file | |
4. | rank - position in a social hierarchy; "the British are more aware of social status than Americans are" | |
5. | rank - the body of members of an organization or group; "they polled their membership"; "they found dissension in their own ranks"; "he joined the ranks of the unemployed" Synonyms: membership | |
Verb | 1. | rank - take or have a position relative to others; "This painting ranks among the best in the Western World" |
2. | rank - assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide" | |
3. | rank - take precedence or surpass others in rank Synonyms: outrank | |
Adj. | 1. | rank - very fertile; producing profuse growth; "rank earth" |
2. | rank - very offensive in smell or taste; "a rank cigar" | |
3. | rank - conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation of human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross ineptitude"; "gross injustice"; "rank treachery" | |
4. | rank - complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity" | |
5. | rank - growing profusely; "rank jungle vegetation" |
RANK. The order or place in which certain officers are placed in the army
and navy, in relation to others, is called their rank.
2. It is a maxim, that officers of, an inferior rank are bound to obey
all the lawful commands of their superiors, and are justified for such
obedience.