rate definition | Dictionary.com

rate

1 [reyt]

noun, verb, rat⋅ed, rat⋅ing.

–noun

1.	the amount of a charge or payment with reference to some basis of calculation: a high rate of interest on loans.

2.	a certain quantity or amount of one thing considered in relation to a unit of another thing and used as a standard or measure: at the rate of 60 miles an hour.

3.	a fixed charge per unit of quantity: a rate of 10 cents a pound.

4.	price; cost: to cut rates on all home furnishings.

5.	degree of speed, progress, etc.: to work at a rapid rate.

6.	degree or comparative extent of action or procedure: the rate of increase in work output.

7.	relative condition or quality; grade, class, or sort.

8.	assigned position in any of a series of graded classes; rating.

9.	Insurance. the premium charge per unit of insurance.

10.	a charge by a common carrier for transportation, sometimes including certain services involved in rendering such transportation.

11.	a wage paid on a specified time basis: a salary figured on an hourly rate.

12.	a charge or price established in accordance with a scale or standard: hotel rates based on length of stay.

13.	Horology. the relative adherence of a timepiece to perfect timekeeping, measured in terms of the amount of time gained or lost within a certain period.

14.

Usually, rates. British.

a.	a tax on property for some local purpose.

b.	any tax assessed and paid to a local government, as any city tax or district tax.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to estimate the value or worth of; appraise: to rate a student's class performance.

16.	to esteem, consider, or account: He was rated one of the best writers around.

17.	to fix at a certain rate, as of charge or payment.

18.	to value for purposes of taxation or the like.

19.	to make subject to the payment of a certain rate or tax.

20.	to place in a certain rank, class, etc., as a ship or a sailor; give a specific rating to.

21.	to be considered or treated as worthy of; merit: an event that doesn't even rate a mention in most histories of the period.

22.	to arrange for the conveyance of (goods) at a certain rate.

–verb (used without object)

23.	to have value, standing, etc.: a performance that didn't rate very high in the competition.

24.	to have position in a certain class.

25.	to rank very high in estimation: The new teacher really rates with our class.

—Idiom

26.

at any rate,

a.	in any event; in any case.

b.	at least: It was a mediocre film, but at any rate there was one outstanding individual performance.

Origin:
1375–1425; (n.) late ME rate monetary value, estimated amount, proportional part < ML rata < L (prō) ratā (parte) (according to) an estimated (part), ratā abl. sing. of rata, fem. of ratus, ptp. of rērī to judge; (v.) late ME raten to estimate the value (of), deriv. of the n.

Synonyms:
5. pace. 15. rank, classify, measure.

rate

2 [reyt]

–verb (used with object), verb (used without object), rat⋅ed, rat⋅ing.

to chide vehemently; scold.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME (a)raten, perh. < Scand; cf. Sw, Norw rata to reject

Related forms:

rater, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To rate

rate¹ (rāt)

A quantity measured with respect to another measured quantity: a rate of speed of 60 miles an hour.
A measure of a part with respect to a whole; a proportion: the mortality rate; a tax rate.
The cost per unit of a commodity or service: postal rates.
A charge or payment calculated in relation to a particular sum or quantity: interest rates.
Level of quality.
Chiefly British A locally assessed property tax. Often used in the plural.

v. rat·ed, rat·ing, rates

v. tr.

To calculate the value of; appraise. See Synonyms at estimate.
To place in a particular rank or grade.
To regard or account: rated the movie excellent.
To value for purposes of taxation.
To set a rate for (goods to be shipped).
To specify the performance limits of (a machine, for example): This fuse is rated at 50 amperes.
Informal To merit or deserve: people that rate special treatment. See Synonyms at earn¹.

v. intr.

To be ranked in a particular class.
Informal To have status, importance, or influence.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin rata, proportion, short for Latin (prō) ratā (parte), (according to a) fixed (part), from feminine ablative past participle of rērī, to consider, reckon; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

rate² (rāt)

v.   rat·ed, rat·ing, rates

v.   tr.
To berate.
v.   intr.
To express reproof.

[Middle English raten, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Rate

Rate\, v. t. & i. [Perh. fr. E. rate, v. t., to value at a certain rate, to estimate, but more prob. fr. Sw. rata to find fault, to blame, to despise, to hold cheap; cf. Icel. hrat refuse, hrati rubbish.] To chide with vehemence; to scold; to censure violently. --Spencer.

Go, rate thy minions, proud, insulting boy! --Shak.

Conscience is a check to beginners in sin, reclaiming them from it, and rating them for it. --Barrow.

Rate

Rate\, n. [OF., fr. L. rata (sc. pars), fr. ratus reckoned, fixed by calculation, p. p. of reri to reckon, to calculate. Cf. Reason.]

1. Established portion or measure; fixed allowance.

The one right feeble through the evil rate, Of food which in her duress she had found. --Spenser.

2. That which is established as a measure or criterion; degree; standard; rank; proportion; ratio; as, a slow rate of movement; rate of interest is the ratio of the interest to the principal, per annum.

Heretofore the rate and standard of wit was different from what it is nowadays. --South.

In this did his holiness and godliness appear above the rate and pitch of other men's, in that he was so . . . merciful. --Calamy.

Many of the horse could not march at that rate, nor come up soon enough. --Clarendon.

3. Variation; prise fixed with relation to a standard; cost; charge; as, high or low rates of transportation.

They come at dear rates from Japan. --Locke.

4. A tax or sum assessed by authority on property for public use, according to its income or value; esp., in England, a local tax; as, parish rates; town rates.

5. Order; arrangement. [Obs.]

Thus sat they all around in seemly rate. --Spenser.

6. Ratification; approval. [R.] --Chapman.

7. (Horol.) The gain or loss of a timepiece in a unit of time; as, daily rate; hourly rate; etc.

8. (Naut.) (a) The order or class to which a war vessel belongs, determined according to its size, armament, etc.; as, first rate, second rate, etc. (b) The class of a merchant vessel for marine insurance, determined by its relative safety as a risk, as A1, A2, etc.

Rate

Rate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rated; p. pr. & vb. n. Rating.]

1. To set a certain estimate on; to value at a certain price or degree.

To rate a man by the nature of his companions is a rule frequent indeed, but not infallible. --South.

You seem not high enough your joys to rate. --Dryden.

2. To assess for the payment of a rate or tax.

3. To settle the relative scale, rank, position, amount, value, or quality of; as, to rate a ship; to rate a seaman; to rate a pension.

4. To ratify. [Obs.] "To rate the truce." --Chapman.

To rate a chronometer, to ascertain the exact rate of its gain or loss as compared with true time, so as to make an allowance or computation depended thereon.

Syn: To value; appraise; estimate; reckon.

Rate

Rate\, v. i. 1. To be set or considered in a class; to have rank; as, the ship rates as a ship of the line.

2. To make an estimate.

Language Translation for : rate

Spanish: tasa, índice,

German: die Rate,

Japanese: 率

More Translations »

rate (n.)

"estimated value or worth," 1425, from M.Fr. rate "price, value," from M.L. rata (pars) "fixed (amount)," from L. rata "fixed, settled," fem. pp. of reri "to reckon, think" (see reason). Meaning "degree of speed" (prop. ratio between distance and time) is attested from 1652. Currency exchange sense first recorded 1727. The verb "to estimate the worth or value of" is from 1599. First-rate, second-rate, etc. are 1649, from British Navy division of ships into six classes based on size and strength. Phrase at any rate originally (1619) meant "at any cost;" weakened sense of "at least" is attested by 1760.

rate (v.)

"to scold," c.1386, probably from O.Fr. reter "to impute blame," from L. reputare "to count over, reflect," in V.L., "to impute, blame" (see reputation).

Main Entry: rate
Function: noun
1 : a fixed ratio between two things
2 : a charge, payment, or price fixed according to a ratio, scale, or standard: as a : a charge per unit of a commodity provided by a public utility b : a charge per unit of freight or passenger service —see also JOINT RATE c : a unit charge or ratio used in assessing property taxes
3 a : a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else b : an amount of payment or charge based on another amount; specifically : the amount of premium per unit of insurance —rate transitive verb

Main Entry: rate
Pronunciation: 'rAt
Function: noun
1 : a fixed ratio between two things
2 : a quantity, amount, or degree ofsomething measured per unit of something else —see BASAL METABOLIC RATE, DEATH RATE, HEART RATE

rate ¹ (rāt)
n.

A quantity measured with respect to another measured quantity.
A measure of a part with respect to a whole; a proportion.

rate

see at any rate; at this rate; x-rated.

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