2. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or designating, a swelling under the tongue; also, pertaining to the region where the swelling occurs; -- applied especially to branches of the lingual artery and lingual vein.

Rank (rk), a. [Compar. Ranker (-r); superl. Rankest.] [AS. ranc strong, proud; cf. D. rank slender, Dan. rank upright, erect, Prov. G. rank slender, Icel. rakkr slender, bold. The meaning seems to have been influenced by L. rancidus, E. rancid.] 1. Luxuriant in growth; of vigorous growth; exuberant; grown to immoderate height; as, rank grass; rank weeds.

And, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

Gen. xli. 5.

2. Raised to a high degree; violent; extreme; gross; utter; as, rank heresy. "Rank nonsense." Hare. "I do forgive thy rankest fault." Shak.

3. Causing vigorous growth; producing luxuriantly; very rich and fertile; as, rank land. Mortimer.

4. Strong-scented; rancid; musty; as, oil of a rank smell; rank-smelling rue. Spenser.

5. Strong to the taste. "Divers sea fowls taste rank of the fish on which they feed." Boyle.

6. Inflamed with venereal appetite. [Obs.] Shak.

Rank modus (Law), an excessive and unreasonable modus. See Modus, 3. -- To set (the iron of a plane, etc.) rank, to set so as to take off a thick shaving. Moxon.

Rank, adv. Rankly; stoutly; violently. [Obs.]

That rides so rank and bends his lance so fell.

Fairfax.

Rank, n. [OE. renk, reng, OF. renc, F. rang, fr. OHG. hring a circle, a circular row, G. ring. See Ring, and cf. Range, n. & v.] 1. A row or line; a range; an order; a tier; as, a rank of osiers.

Many a mountain nigh Rising in lofty ranks, and loftier still.

Byron.

2. (Mil.) A line of soldiers ranged side by side; -- opposed to file. See 1st File, 1 (a).

Fierce, fiery warriors fought upon the clouds, In ranks and squadrons and right form of war.

Shak.

3. Grade of official standing, as in the army, navy, or nobility; as, the rank of general; the rank of admiral.

4. An aggregate of individuals classed together; a permanent social class; an order; a division; as, ranks and orders of men; the highest and the lowest ranks of men, or of other intelligent beings.

5. Degree of dignity, eminence, or excellence; position in civil or social life; station; degree; grade; as, a writer of the first rank; a lawyer of high rank.

These all are virtues of a meaner rank.

Addison.

6. Elevated grade or standing; high degree; high social position; distinction; eminence; as, a man of rank.

Rank and file. (a) (Mil.) The whole body of common soldiers, including also corporals. In a more extended sense, it includes sergeants also, excepting the noncommissioned staff. (b) See under 1st File. -- The ranks, the order or grade of common soldiers; as, to reduce a noncommissioned officer to the ranks. -- To fill the ranks, to supply the whole number, or a competent number. -- To take rank of, to have precedence over, or to have the right of taking a higher place than.

Rank, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ranked (rkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Ranking.] 1. To place abreast, or in a line.

2. To range in a particular class, order, or division; to class; also, to dispose methodically; to place in suitable classes or order; to classify.

Ranking all things under general and special heads.

I. Watts.

Poets were ranked in the class of philosophers.

Broome.

Heresy is ranked with idolatry and witchcraft.

Dr. H. More.

3. To take rank of; to outrank. [U.S.]

Rank, v. i. 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.

Shak.

2. To have a certain grade or degree of elevation in the orders of civil or military life; to have a certain degree of esteem or consideration; as, he ranks with the first class of poets; he ranks high in public estimation.

Rank"er (-r), n. One who ranks, or disposes in ranks; one who arranges.

Ran"kle (r"k'l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rankled (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Rankling (-klng).] [From Rank, a.] 1. To become, or be, rank; to grow rank or strong; to be inflamed; to fester; -- used literally and figuratively.

A malady that burns and rankles inward.

Rowe.

This would have left a rankling wound in the hearts of the people.

Burke.

2. To produce a festering or inflamed effect; to cause a sore; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a splinter rankles in the flesh; the words rankled in his bosom.

Ran"kle (r"k'l), v. t. To cause to fester; to make sore; to inflame. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

Rank"ly (rk"l), adv. With rank or vigorous growth; luxuriantly; hence, coarsely; grossly; as, weeds grow rankly.

Rank"ness, n. [AS. rancness pride.] The condition or quality of being rank.

Ran"nel (rn"nl), n. A prostitute. [Obs.]

Ran"ny (-n), n. [L. araneus mus, a kind of small mouse.] (Zoöl.) The erd shrew. [Scot.]

Ran"sack (-sk), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ransacked (-skt); p. pr. & vb. n. Ransacking.] [OE. ransaken, Icel. rannsaka to explore, examine; rann a house (akin to Goth. razn house, AS. ræsn plank, beam) + the root of sækja to seek, akin to E. seek. See Seek, and cf. Rest repose.] 1. To search thoroughly; to search every place or part of; as, to ransack a house.

To ransack every corner of their . . . hearts.

South.

2. To plunder; to pillage completely.

Their vow is made To ransack Troy.

Shak.

3. To violate; to ravish; to defiour. [Obs.]

Rich spoil of ransacked chastity.

Spenser.

Ran"sack, v. i. To make a thorough search.

To ransack in the tas [heap] of bodies dead.

Chaucer.

Ran"sack, n. The act of ransacking, or state of being ransacked; pillage. [R.]

Even your father's house Shall not be free from ransack.

J. Webster.

Ran"som (rn"sm), n. [OE. raunson, raunsoun, OF. rançon, raençon, raançon, F. rançon, fr. L. redemptio, fr. redimere to redeem. See Redeem, and cf. Redemption.] 1. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration; redemption; as, prisoners hopeless of ransom. Dryden.

2. The money or price paid for the redemption of a prisoner, or for goods captured by an enemy; payment for freedom from restraint, penalty, or forfeit.

Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.

Milton.

His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.

Sir J. Davies.

3. (O. Eng. Law) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offense and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment. Blackstone.

Ransom bill (Law), a war contract, valid by the law of nations, for the ransom of property captured at sea and its safe conduct into port. Kent.

Ran"som, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ransomed (-smd); p. pr. & vb. n. Ransoming.] [Cf. F. rançonner. See Ransom, n.] 1. To redeem from captivity, servitude, punishment, or forfeit, by paying a price; to buy out of servitude or penalty; to rescue; to deliver; as, to ransom prisoners from an enemy.

2. To exact a ransom for, or a payment on. [R.]

Such lands as he had rule of he ransomed them so grievously, and would tax the men two or three times in a year.

Berners.

Ran"som*a*ble (-*b'l), a. Such as can be ransomed.

Ran"som*er (-r), n. One who ransoms or redeems.

Ran"som*less, a. Incapable of being ransomed; without ransom. Shak.

Rant (rnt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ranted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ranting.] [OD. ranten, randen, to dote, to be enraged.] To rave in violent, high-sounding, or extravagant language, without dignity of thought; to be noisy, boisterous, and bombastic in talk or declamation; as, a ranting preacher.

Look where my ranting host of the Garter comes!

Shak.

Rant, n. High-sounding language, without importance or dignity of thought; boisterous, empty declamation; bombast; as, the rant of fanatics.

This is a stoical rant, without any foundation in the nature of man or reason of things.

Atterbury.

Rant"er (-r), n. 1. A noisy talker; a raving declaimer.

2. (Eccl. Hist.) (a) One of a religious sect which sprung up in 1645; -- called also Seekers. See Seeker. (b) One of the Primitive Methodists, who seceded from the Wesleyan Methodists on the ground of their deficiency in fervor and zeal; -- so called in contempt.

Rant"er*ism (-z'm), n. (Eccl. Hist.) The practice or tenets of the Ranters.

Rant"ing*ly, adv. In a ranting manner.

Rant"i*pole (-*pl), n. [Ranty + pole, poll, head.] A wild, romping young person. [Low] Marryat.

Rant"i*pole, a. Wild; roving; rakish. [Low]

Rant"i*pole, v. i. To act like a rantipole. [Low]

She used to rantipole about the house.

Arbuthnot.

Rant"ism (-z'm), n. (Eccl. Hist.) Ranterism.

Rant"y (-), a. Wild; noisy; boisterous.

||Ran"u*la (rn"*l), n. [L., a little frog, a little swelling on the ||tongue of cattle, dim. of rana a frog.] (Med.) A cyst formed under ||the tongue by obstruction of the duct of the submaxillary gland.

Ra*nun`cu*la"ceous (r*n`k*l"shs), a. [See Ranunculus.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants (Ranunculaceæ), of which the buttercup is the type, and which includes also the virgin's bower, the monkshood, larkspur, anemone, meadow rue, and peony.

Ra*nun"cu*lus (r*n"k*ls), n.; pl. E. Ranunculuses (- z), L. Ranunculi (-l). [L., a little frog, a medicinal plant, perhaps crowfoot, dim. of rana a frog; cf. raccare to roar.] (Bot.) A genus of herbs, mostly with yellow flowers, including crowfoot, buttercups, and the cultivated ranunculi (R. Asiaticus, R. aconitifolius, etc.) in which the flowers are double and of various colors.