Middle English Dictionary Entry
rank adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | rank adj. Also rancke, ranc, rang, ronk(e, rong, raunke; sup. rankest, etc. & (error) ranclest. |
| Etymology | OE ranc |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Proud, haughty; also, headstrong, rebellious; (b) fierce, violent.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9622 : Þatt follc..haffde beon till þa Heh follc & rannc onn eorþe.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2561 : Yif þat ani were so rang [rime: þank] That he þanne ne come anon..he sholde maken him þral.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1658 : Laban, herte ranc, He cuðe him ðer-of wel gret ðhanc.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)390 : So were theih daungerouse for wlaunke And siththen bicom ful reulich, that thanne weren so ranke.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16040 : Caiphas þair biscop was Ful riche man and rank.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)455 : Þat watz þe raven so ronk, þat rebel watz ever.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)220/33 : Þer is a ranke swayne Whos rule is noȝt right.
- c1450 Earth(3) (Lamb 853)15/27 : Þan þi bodi, þat was rank & undeuout, of alle men is bihatid.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)11 : Þen wos this reame renaide mony ronke ȝeres.
- a1425 Fasc.Mor.(LdMisc 111)Tag 11 : Þat body þat was so ronk and loud, Of alle men is i-hated.
b
- a1250 Ancr.(Tit D.18)92/26 : Hit bringes to nawt alle þe deueles wiles, nawt ane his strengðes & his ronke [Corp-C: stronge] turnes, ah dos al swa his wilfule crokes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)233 : Þaȝ þe rape were rank, þe rawþe watz lyttlel.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1167 : Of raas þaȝ I were rasch and ronk, Ȝet rapely þerinne I watz restayed.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10435 : No help comes, Ne no rynk hym to rescow, but his ronk fos.
2.
(a) Brave, stout-hearted, eager, vigorous; (b) splendid, admirable.
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)71 : Ne geyneþ vs no grene..Ne þe ronke racches þat ruskit þe ron.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5437 : Ector lepe on his stede ronke.
- a1450 ?Audelay An a byrchyn bonke (Dc 302)3 : Ronke rachis with rerde þai ronnon a-ryȝt.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5575 : Þis Palomydon was..rankist of knightes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8478 : Ector..bownet to feld And arayed for the rode with a ronke wille.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)844 : Thys Jerusalem Lombe hade neuer pechche Of oþer huee bot quyt jolyf Þat mot ne masklle moȝt on streche, For wolle quyte so ronk and ryf.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4701 : All the rowte with þere Ranke shippes cast ancres.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4783 : Robbet was þis ronke hold & ryuyn to ground.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5544 : Syn þe world was wroght..Was neuer red in no Romans, ne in ronke bokes, So fele fightyng folke.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12486 : Þai token..Relikes full Rife and miche ranke godes.
3.
(a) Hard, tough, strong; dense; of soil: heavy, stiff; (b) of troops: in close array, dense.
Associated quotations
a
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.104 : Take the fatte and moyst [land]..And aftir hit the thikke and ronke [L spissus] is best.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.169 : Ronk [vr. Rong; L gloss.: vliginosa] lond a fote & half, a valey twey ffeet deep is at the best.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1764 : All þe rowte ryngez Of ryues and raunke stele and ryche golde-maylez.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2240 : The ryall raunke stele to his herte rynnys.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)13805 : Was þer non helm wiþ stel so rank Þat his swerd þorow-out ne sank.
- c1475 Awntyrs Arth.(Tay 9)p.22 : Alle the cost of the knyȝte he keruys doune clene Thro the riche mayles that ronke were and rouunde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)223/5 : Wyth a ranke swerde he was merveylously wounded.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win:Way)423 : Ranke: Crassus.
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1319 : Alexander..Ridis euen þurȝe þe route þar rankest þai were.
4.
(a) Abundant, copious, profuse; also, excessive; full (of wisdom); abounding (in riches); hives ~, beehives ready for harvesting; ~ of blod, having too much blood; (b) wealthy; (c) of a plant: healthy, vigorous, mature; also, thickly grown, luxuriant; as noun: the ~, the full ears of grain; of a field: producing luxuriant growth, fertile; (d) sexually mature; also, libidinous; (e) fresh, undecayed.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.913 : This synne men clepen polucioun..comth in foure maneres; Somtyme of langwissynge of body, for the humours ben to ranke and habundaunt in the body of man.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5093 : Yn sum man vnkyndehede ys so rank Þat he ne may cunne no man þank.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21024 : O reson was nan sa ranc [Göt: rang; Trin-C: ronke].
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)490 : Is þis ryȝt-wys, þou renk, alle þy ronk noyse, So wroth for a wod-bynde to wax so sone?
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)7.121 : In this mone is ek castracion Of hyues ronke [L matura], of hony fild.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)200 : Nowther of tham myghte other stille, Thaire sorowe it was fulle ranke!
- a1450(?1400) In blossemed buske (Dgb 102)2 : In blossemed buske I bode boote In ryche array, with ryches rank.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)101/216 : Ȝif an hors be rancke of blod þen let him blod in his necke.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)322 : The richere of ranke wele, the rathere will drede.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8511 : He hade no ruthe of hor remyng, ne þe rank teris.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13902 : The ruerde wax ranke of þat rught fare.
b
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9204 : On what wise in this world wilne shuld I hir, Most exilent of other, onerable of kyn, Of Rent & of Riches rankir þan I?
- ?c1450 Susan.(Mrg M 818)29 : He was þe richest and þe ranclest his rentes to rere, Honest and auenand and honorabelest aye.
c
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2105 : vii eares wexen fette of coren On an busk, ranc and wel tidi.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2108 : Ðe ranc he hauen ðo ouer-cumen.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)164a/a : Gras and herbes þat growen in valeyes..ben generaliche more ranke & fatte [L pinguiora].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)513 : Blossumez bolne to blowe Bi rawez rych & ronk.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3060 : Þare fell as fele þam before of fotemen & othire As risonis in a ranke fild quen riders it spilken.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1289 : A secrete place..she knewe, With grete hauthorn busshes, roughe and ranke.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)869 : Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype, and redy to manne.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)2 : They wex coragious and ranke, and desired gretely the feleshippe of men.
e
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)91 : The fleshe..openly shewid Wyt ronke rode, as þe rose.
5.
(a) Evil, abominable; of poison: virulent; (b) corrupt, loathsome, foul.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)760 : If þat twenty be trwe, I..relece alle þat regioun of her ronk werkkez.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)873 : Þe rebaudez so ronk rerd such a noyse.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)110/11 : He..boghte..a maner of drynke made of puyson that was so felle & so ranke þat þare myghte no vesselle halde it Bot a vessell made of Iren.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11775 : Couetous, by custome of old..rote is & rankist of all the rif syns.
b
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)233 : Be my woundes roten and rank..Can I noght bot mercy cry.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9720 : He wax al blak & bolned rank & deyde.
- a1450(a1400) Titus & V.(Add 36523)1215 : The evell was on hym soo ranke, Þat on his folke so foule stanke, From amonges his men he flegh.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)262 : Þi body may be enbawmyd, hit bashis me noght Þat hit thar ryue ne rote ne no ronke wormes.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1035 : Encombryd so was neuer wyght As Vertew and hys men were with the ranke wede That in the felde grew of Sensualytees sede.
6.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1279) Close R.Edw.I553 : John le Ronk.
- (1327) Name in LuSE 357 : Rank.
- (1369) Let.Bk.Lond.G (Gldh LetBk G)245 : John Rankediche.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1486 Sln.Bk.Hawking (Sln 3488)141 : If she haue the ree..that bredeth in the hede..And if it haue no help, hit wol downe into the Fete, and make hire fete ranke and longe er thei be hole.
Note: ?sense
Note: Quot. probably belongs to sense 5.(b).
Note: Gloss: ?affected by putrefaction, festering.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL