v. t. | 1. | To set in a row, or in rows; to place in a regular line or lines, or in ranks; to dispose in the proper order; to rank; as, to range soldiers in line. |
| 2. | To place (as a single individual) among others in a line, row, or order, as in the ranks of an army; - usually, reflexively and figuratively, (in the sense) to espouse a cause, to join a party, etc. |
| 3. | To separate into parts; to sift. |
| 4. | To dispose in a classified or in systematic order; to arrange regularly; as, to range plants and animals in genera and species. |
| 5. | To rove over or through; as, to range the fields. |
| 6. | To sail or pass in a direction parallel to or near; as, to range the coast. |
| 7. | (Biol.) To be native to, or to live in; to frequent. |
v. i. | 1. | To rove at large; to wander without restraint or direction; to roam. |
| 2. | To have range; to change or differ within limits; to be capable of projecting, or to admit of being projected, especially as to horizontal distance; as, the temperature ranged through seventy degrees Fahrenheit; the gun ranges three miles; the shot ranged four miles. |
| 3. | To be placed in order; to be ranked; to admit of arrangement or classification; to rank. |
| 4. | To have a certain direction; to correspond in direction; to be or keep in a corresponding line; to trend or run; - often followed by with; as, the front of a house ranges with the street; to range along the coast. |
| 5. | (Biol.) To be native to, or live in, a certain district or region; as, the peba ranges from Texas to Paraguay. |
n. | 1. | A series of things in a line; a row; a rank; as, a range of buildings; a range of mountains. |
| 2. | An aggregate of individuals in one rank or degree; an order; a class. |
| 3. | The step of a ladder; a rung. |
| 4. | A kitchen grate. |
| 5. | An extended cooking apparatus of cast iron, set in brickwork, and affording conveniences for various ways of cooking; also, a kind of cooking stove. |
| 6. | A bolting sieve to sift meal. |
| 7. | A wandering or roving; a going to and fro; an excursion; a ramble; an expedition. |
| 8. | That which may be ranged over; place or room for excursion; especially, a region of country in which cattle or sheep may wander and pasture. |
| 9. | Extent or space taken in by anything excursive; compass or extent of excursion; reach; scope; discursive power; as, the range of one's voice, or authority. |
| 10. | (Biol.) The region within which a plant or animal naturally lives. |
| 11. | (Gun.) The horizontal distance to which a shot or other projectile is carried. |
| 12. | In the public land system of the United States, a row or line of townships lying between two successive meridian lines six miles apart. |
| 13. | (Naut.) See Range of cable, below. |
Noun | 1. | range - an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "the ambit of municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this article"; "within the scope of an investigation"; "outside the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world power" |
| 2. | range - the limits within which something can be effective; "range of motion"; "he was beyond the reach of their fire" |
| 3. | range - a large tract of grassy open land on which livestock can graze; "they used to drive the cattle across the open range every spring"; "he dreamed of a home on the range" |
| 4. | range - a series of hills or mountains; "the valley was between two ranges of hills"; "the plains lay just beyond the mountain range" |
| 5. | range - a place for shooting (firing or driving) projectiles of various kinds; "the army maintains a missile range in the desert"; "any good golf club will have a range where you can practice" |
| 6. | range - the limits of the values a function can take; "the range of this function is the interval from 0 to 1" |
| 7. | range - a variety of different things or activities; "he answered a range of questions"; "he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection" |
| 8. | range - the limit of capability; "within the compass of education" |
| 9. | range - a kitchen appliance used for cooking food; "dinner was already on the stove" |
Verb | 1. | range - change or be different within limits; "Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion"; "Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent"; "The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals"; "My students range from very bright to dull" |
| 2. | range - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"Synonyms: roam, rove, stray, vagabond, wander, ramble, swan, drift, tramp, cast, roll |
| 3. | range - have a range; be capable of projecting over a certain distance, as of a gun; "This gun ranges over two miles" |
| 4. | range - range or extend over; occupy a certain area; "The plants straddle the entire state" |
| 5. | range - lay out in a line |
| 6. | range - feed as in a meadow or pasture; "the herd was grazing" |
| 7. | range - let eat; "range the animals in the prairie" |
| 8. | range - assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide" |