King James Bible Dictionary

RANGE, verb transitive

1. To set in a row or in rows; to place in a regular line, lines or ranks; to dispose in the proper order; as, to range troops in a body; to range men or ships in the order of battle.

2. To dispose in proper classes, orders or divisions; as, to range plants and animals in genera and species.

3. To dispose in a proper manner; to place in regular method; in a general sense. range and arrange are used indifferently in the same sense.

4. To rove over; to pass over.

Teach him to range the ditch and force the brake.

[This use is elliptical, over being omitted.]

5. To sail or pass in a direction parallel to or near; as, to range the coast, that is, along the coast.

RANGE, verb intransitive

1. To rove at large; to wander without restraint or direction.

As a roaring lion and a ranging bear. Proverbs 28:1.

2. To be placed in order; to be ranked.

'Tis better to be lowly born, and range with humble livers in content -

[In this sense, rank is now used.]

3. To lie in a particular direction.

Which way thy forests range -

We say, the front of a house ranges with the line of the street.

4. To sail or pass near or in the direction of; as, to range along the coast.

RANGE, noun [See Rank.]

1. A row; a rank; things in a line; as a range of buildings; a range of mountains; ranges of colors.

2. A class; an order.

The next range of beings above him are the immaterial intelligences -

3. A wandering or roving; excursion.

He may take a range all the world over.

4. Space or room for excursion.

A man has not enough range of thought -

5. Compass or extent of excursion; space taken in by any thing extended or ranked in order; as the range of Newton's thought. No philosopher has embraced a wider range

Far as creation's ample range extends.

6. The step of a ladder. [Corrupted in popular language to rung.]

7. A kitchen grate.

8. A bolting sieve to sift meal.

9. In gunnery, the path of a bullet or bomb, or the line it describes from the mouth of the piece to the point where it lodges; or the whole distance which it passes. When a cannon lies horizontally, it is called the right level, or point blank range; when the muzzle is elevated to 45 degrees, it is called the utmost range To this may be added the ricochet, the rolling or bounding shot, with the piece elevated from three to six degrees.

RANGED, participle passive Disposed in a row or line; placed in order; passed in roving placed in a particular direction.

RANGER, noun

1. One that ranges; a rover; a robber. [Now little used.]

2. A dog that beats the ground.

3. In England, a sworn officer of a forest, appointed by the king's letters patent, whose business is to walk through the forest, watch the deer, present trespasses, etc.

RANGERSHIP, noun The office of the keeper of a forest or park.

1. Leviticus 11:35. Probably a cooking furnace for two or more pots, as the Hebrew word here is in the dual number; or perhaps a fire-place fitted to receive a pair of ovens.

2. 2 Kings 11:8. A Hebrew word is here used different from the preceding, meaning "ranks of soldiers." The Levites were appointed to guard the king's person within the temple (2 Chronicles 23:7), while the soldiers were his guard in the court, and in going from the temple to the palace. The soldiers are here commanded to slay any one who should break through the "ranks" (as rendered in the R.V.) to come near the king. In 2 Kings 11:15 the expression, "Have her forth without the ranges," is in the Revised Version, "Have her forth between the ranks;" i.e., Jehoiada orders that Athaliah should be kept surrounded by his own guards, and at the same time conveyed beyond the precincts of the temple.

RANGING, participle present tense Placing in a row or line; disposing in order, method or classes; roving; passing near and in the direction of.

RANGING, noun The act of placing in lines or in order; a roving, etc.

RANK, noun [Heb.]

1. A row or line, applied to troops; a line of men standing abreast or side by side, and as opposed to file, a line running the length of a company, battalion or regiment. Keep your ranks; dress your ranks.

Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds in ranks and squadrons and right form of war.

2. Ranks, in the plural, the order of common soldiers; as, to reduce an officer to the ranks.

3. A row; a line of things, or things in a line; as a rank of osiers.

4. Degree; grade; in military affairs; as the rank of captain, colonel or general; the rank of vice-admiral.

5. Degree of elevation in civil life or station; the order of elevation or of subordination. We say, all ranks and orders of men; every man's dress and behavior should correspond with his rank; the highest and the lowest ranks of men or of other intelligent beings.

6. Class; order; division; any portion or number of things to which place, degree or order is assigned. Profligate men, by their vices, sometimes degrade themselves to the rank of brutes.

7. Degree of dignity, eminence or excellence; as a writer of the first rank; a lawyer of high rank.

These are all virtues of a meaner rank.

8. Dignity; high place or degree in the orders of men; as a man of rank.

Rank and file, the order of common soldiers. Ten officers and three hundred rank and file fell in the action.

To fill the ranks, to supply the whole number, or a competent number.

To take rank, to enjoy precedence, or to have the right of taking a higher place. In Great Britain, the king's sons take rank of all the other nobles.

RANK, adjective [Latin rancidus, from ranceo, to smell strong. The primary sense of the root is to advance, to shoot forward, to grow luxuriantly, whence the sense of strong, vigorous.]

1. Luxuriant in growth; being of vigorous growth; as rank grass; rank weeds.

Seven ears came up upon one stalk, rank and good. Genesis 41:1.

2. Causing vigorous growth; producing luxuriantly; very rich and fertile; as, land is rank.

3. Strong scented; as rank smelling rue.

4. Rancid; musty; as oil of a rank smell.

5. Inflamed with venereal appetite.

6. Strong to the taste; high tasted.

Divers sea fowls taste rank of the fish on which they feed.

7. Rampant; high grown; raised to a high degree; excessive; as rank pride; rank idolatry.

I do forgive thy rankest faults.

8. Gross; coarse.

9. Strong; clinching. Take rank hold. Hence,

10. Excessive; exceeding the actual value; as a rank modus in law.

To set rank, as the iron of a plane, to set it so as to take off a thick shaving.

RANK, verb transitive

1. To place abreast or in a line.

2. To place in a particular class, order or division.

Poets were ranked in the class of philosophers.

Heresy is ranked with idolatry and witchcraft.

3. To dispose methodically; to place in suitable order.

Who now shall rear you to the sun, or rank your tribes?

Ranking all things under general and special heads.

RANK, verb intransitive

1. To be ranged; to be set or disposed; as in a particular degree, class, order or division.

Let that one article rank with the rest.

2. To be placed in a rank or ranks.

Go, rank in tribes, and quit the savage wood.

3. To have a certain grade or degree of elevation in the orders of civil or military life. He ranks with a major. He ranks with the first class of poets. He ranks high in public estimation.

Used as an ornament to decorate the fingers, arms, wrists, and also the ears and the nose. Rings were used as a signet (Genesis 38:18). They were given as a token of investment with authority (Genesis 41:42; Esther 3:8-10; 8:2), and of favour and dignity (Luke 15:22). They were generally worn by rich men (James 2:2). They are mentioned by Isiah (3:21) among the adornments of Hebrew women.

Of gold
Numbers 31:50

Worn as a badge of office
Genesis 41:42

Given as a token
Esther 3:10; Esther 3:12; Esther 8:2-10

Worn in the nose
Proverbs 11:22; Isaiah 3:21

Offerings of, to the tabernacle
Exodus 35:22; Numbers 31:50

The ring was regarded as an indispensable article of a Hebrew's attire, inasmuch as it contained his signet. It was hence the symbol of authority. (Genesis 41:42; Esther 3:10) Rings were worn not only by men, but by women. (Isaiah 3:21) We may conclude from (Exodus 28:11) that the rings contained a stone engraven with a device or with the owner's name. The custom appears also to have prevailed among the Jews of the apostolic age. (James 2:2)

RING, noun

1. A circle, or a circular line, or any thing in the form of a circular line or hoop. Thus we say of men, they formed themselves into a ring to see a wrestling match. Rings of gold were made for the ark. Exodus 25:12. Rings of gold or other material are worn on the fingers and sometimes in the ears, as ornaments.

2. A circular course.

Place me, O place me in the dusty ring where youthful charioteers contend for glory.

RING, noun [from the verb.]

1. A sound; particularly, the sound of metals; as the ring of a bell.

2. Any loud sound, or the sounds of numerous voices; or sound continued, repeated or reverberated; as the ring of acclamations.

3. A chime, or set of bells harmonically tuned.

RING, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive rung.

To cause to sound, particularly by striking a metallic body; as, to ring a bell. This word expresses appropriately the sounding of metals.

RING, verb transitive [from the noun.

1. To encircle.

2. To fit with rings, as the fingers, or as a swine's snout. Farmers ring swine to prevent their rooting.

And ring these fingers with thy household worms.

RING, verb intransitive

1. To sound, as a bell or other sonorous body, particularly a metallic one.

2. To practice the art of making music with bells.

3. To sound; to resound.

With sweeter notes each rising temple rung.

4. To utter, as a bell; to sound.

The shardborn beetle with his drowsy hums, hath rung night's yawning peal.

5. To tinkle; to have the sensation of sound continued.

My ears still ring with noise.

6. To be filled with report or talk. The whole town rings with his fame.

RING'-BOLT, noun An iron bolt with an eye to which is fitted a ring of iron.

RING'-BONE, noun A callus growing in the hollow circle of the little pastern of a horse, just above the coronet.

RING'DOVE, noun A species of pigeon, the Columba palumbus, the largest of the European species.

RING'ENT, adjective [Latin ringor, to make wry faces, that is, to wring or twist.]

In botany, a ringent or labiate corol is one which is irregular, monopetalous, with the border usually divided into two parts called the upper and lower lip; or irregular and gaping, like the mouth of an animal.

RING'ER, noun One who rings. [In the sense of wringer, not used.]

RING'ING, participle present tense Causing to sound, as a bell; sounding; fitting with rings.

RING'ING, noun The act of sounding or of causing to sound.

RING'LEAD, verb transitive To conduct. [Little used.]

RING'LEADER, noun [ring and leader.] The leader of any association of men engaged in violating of law or an illegal enterprise, as rioters, mutineers and the like. this name is derived from the practice which men associating to oppose law have sometimes adopted, of signing their names to articles of agreement in a ring, that no one of their number might be distinguished as the leader.

RING'LET, noun

1. A small ring.

2. A curl; particularly, a curl of hair.

Her golden tresses in wanton ringlets wav'd

3. A circle.

To dance our ringlets in the whistling wind.

RING'-OUSEL, noun A bird of the genus Turdus, inhabiting the hilly and mountainous parts of Great Britain.

RING'-STREAKED, adjective [ring and streak.] Having circular streaks or lines on the body; as ring-streaked goats. Genesis 30:35.

RING'-TAIL, noun [ring and tail.]

1. A kind of kite with a whitish tail.

2. A small quadrilateral sail, set on a small mast on a ship's tafferel.

RING'-WORM, noun [ring and worm.] A circular eruption on the skin; a kind of tetter. [Herpes serpigo.]