range meaning and definition

RANGE noun

Definition of range (noun)

1. an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control
   • "the range of a supersonic jet"; "a piano has a greater range than the human voice"; "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"
   • synonyms: ambit, compass, orbit, reach, scope
2. the limits within which something can be effective
   • "range of motion"; "he was beyond the reach of their fire"
   • synonyms: reach
3. 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. a series of hills or mountains
   • "the valley was between two ranges of hills"; "the plains lay just beyond the mountain range"
   • synonyms: chain, chain of mountains, mountain chain, mountain range, range of mountains
5. 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. a variety of different things or activities
   • "he answered a range of questions"; "he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection"
7. (mathematics) the set of values of the dependent variable for which a function is defined
   • "the image of f(x) = x^2 is the set of all non-negative real numbers if the domain of the function is the set of all real numbers"
   • synonyms: image, range of a function
8. the limit of capability
   • "within the compass of education"
   • synonyms: compass, grasp, reach
9. a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
   • "dinner was already on the stove"
   • synonyms: cooking stove, kitchen range, kitchen stove, stove

RANGE verb

Definition of range (verb)

1. 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"
   • synonyms: run
2. 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: cast, drift, ramble, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond, wander
3. have a range; be capable of projecting over a certain distance, as of a gun
   • "This gun ranges over two miles"
4. range or extend over; occupy a certain area
   • "The plants straddle the entire state"
   • synonyms: straddle
5. lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line
   • "lay out the clothes"; "lay out the arguments"
   • synonyms: array, lay out, set out
6. feed as in a meadow or pasture
   • "the herd was grazing"
   • synonyms: browse, crop, graze, pasture
7. let eat
   • "range the animals in the prairie"
8. assign a rank or rating to
   • "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"
   • synonyms: grade, order, place, rank, rate