- a position in the hierarchy of the armed forces军阶, 军衔：
an army officer of fairly high rank
军衔颇高的陆军军官
he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
他晋升为舰长。
- a position within the hierarchy of an organization or society（机构或社团中的）地位; 阶级：
only two cabinet members had held ministerial rank before.
只有两名内阁成员曾经担任过大臣。
- mass noun high social position高等社会地位：
persons of rank and breeding.
地位显赫、血统高贵的人。
- Statistics a number specifying position in a numerically ordered series【统计】次序排列, 等级。
- (in systemic grammar) the level of a linguistic unit or set of linguistic units in relation to other sets in the hierarchy（系统语法用语）（一个或一组语言单位的）阶, 级。
- a single line of soldiers or police officers drawn up abreast（士兵, 警察）横列。
the ranks
common soldiers as opposed to officers普通士兵：he was fined and reduced to the ranks.
他被处以罚款, 并被降为士兵。参见OTHER RANKS.
ranks
the people belonging to or constituting a group or class（属于或构成群体的）成员：the ranks of Britain's unemployed.
英国的失业群体。
- a regular row or line of things or people排, 行, 列; 系列：
conifer plantations growing in serried ranks.
排列密集的针叶树林。
- Chess each of the eight rows of eight squares running from side to side across a chessboard【棋】横排, 棋盘横格。比较FILE2.
- Mathematics the value or the order of the largest non-zero determinant of a given matrix【数】秩。
- an analogous quantity in other kinds of group等值。
- give (someone or something) a rank or place within a grading system把…分等; 给…评定等级：
rank them in order of preference
按喜好排定顺序
with obj. and complement she is ranked number four in the world.她被评定为世界第四名。
- no obj., with adverbial have a specified rank or place within a grading system（在序列中）居指明的地位：
he now ranks third in America.
他目前在美国名列第三。
- with obj. US take precedence over (someone) in respect to rank; outrank〈美〉级别高于, 地位高于：
the Secretary of State ranks all the other members of the cabinet.
国务卿比其他内阁成员地位都高。
- arrange in a rank or ranks将…排成行：
the tents were ranked in orderly rows.
帐篷有序地排成行。
break rank （或ranks）
- (of soldiers or police officers) fail to remain in line（士兵, 警察）解散队列; 打乱队形; 溃散。
- figurative fail to maintain solidarity〈喻〉拆伙, 散伙, 分道扬镳：
the government is prepared to break ranks with the Allied states.
政府准备与盟国决裂。
close ranks
- (of soldiers or police officers) come closer together in a line（士兵, 警察）靠拢, 集合。
- figurative unite in order to defend common interests〈喻〉（为捍卫共同利益）团结起来：
the family had always closed ranks in times of crisis.
这个家庭危机时刻总能紧密团结。
keep rank
- (of soldiers or police officers) remain in line（士兵, 警察）保持队形。
pull rank
- take unfair advantage of one's seniority or privileged position利用地位压服。
rise through （或from） the ranks
- (of a private or a non-commissioned officer) receive a commission（列兵, 军士）升为军官。
- advance in an organization by one's own efforts（凭借个人努力）晋升, 提升：
he rose through the ranks to become managing director.
他一步步从基层升为总裁。
- (of vegetation) growing too thickly and coarsely（植被）茂密的, 芜生蔓长的。
- (especially of air or water) having a foul or offensive smell（尤指空气、水）恶臭难闻的, 腥臭的。
- informal very unpleasant〈非正式〉极其糟糕的：
the tea at work is nice but the coffee's pretty rank.
上班地方的茶味道不错, 但那里的咖啡就实在不敢恭维了。
- attrib.(especially of something bad or deficient) complete and utter (used for emphasis)（尤指不好或有缺陷的东西）极度的, 十足的, 不折不扣的, 彻头彻尾的（加强语气）：
rank stupidity
绝顶愚蠢
rank amateurs
纯粹的业余人士
a rank outsider.
十足的门外汉。