From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Rank \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.
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Many a mountain nigh
Rising in lofty ranks, and loftier still. --Byron.
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2. (Mil.) A line of soldiers ranged side by side; -- opposed
to file. See 1st {File}, 1
(a) .
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Fierce, fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war.
--Shak.
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3. Grade of official standing, as in the army, navy, or
nobility; as, the rank of general; the rank of admiral.
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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.
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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.
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These all are virtues of a meaner rank. --Addison.
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6. Elevated grade or standing; high degree; high social
position; distinction; eminence; as, a man of rank.
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{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.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
File \File\ (f[imac]l), n. [F. file row (cf. Pr., Sp., Pg., &
It. fila), LL. fila, fr. L. filum a thread. Cf. {Enfilade},
{Filament}, {Fillet}.]
1. An orderly succession; a line; a row; as:
(a)
(Mil.) A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; -- in
contradistinction to {rank}, which designates a row
of soldiers standing abreast; a number consisting
the depth of a body of troops, which, in the
ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the
battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks.
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Note: The number of files in a company describes its width,
as the number of ranks does its depth; thus, 100 men in
"fours deep" would be spoken of as 25 files in 4 ranks.
--Farrow.
(b) An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence
or classified for preservation and reference; as,
files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings
English files to the 15th instant.
(c) The line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers
are put and kept in order.
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It is upon a file with the duke's other letters.
--Shak.
(d) A roll or list. "A file of all the gentry." --Shak.
2. Course of thought; thread of narration. [Obs.]
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Let me resume the file of my narration. --Sir H.
Wotton.
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3. (computers) a collection of data on a digital recording
medium treated as a unit for the purpose of recording,
reading, storage, or indexing; -- such a file is typically
accessible by computer programs by the use of a file name.
The data may be of any type codable digitally, such as
simple ASCII-coded text, complex binary-coded data, or an
executable program, or may be itself a collection of other
files.
[PJC]
{File firing}, the act of firing by file, or each file
independently of others.
{File leader}, the soldier at the front of any file, who
covers and leads those in rear of him.
{File marching}, the marching of a line two deep, when faced
to the right or left, so that the front and rear rank
march side by side. --Brande & C.
{Indian file}, or {Single file}, a line of people marching
one behind another; a single row. Also used adverbially;
as, to march Indian file.
{On file}, preserved in an orderly collection; recorded in
some database.
{Rank and file}.
(a) The body of soldiers constituting the mass of an army,
including corporals and privates. --Wilhelm.
(b) Those who constitute the bulk or working members of a
party, society, etc., in distinction from the leaders.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
rank and file
n 1: 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" [syn: {rank and file}, {rank}]
2: people who constitute the main body of any group
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