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
Rank, adv.
Defn: Rankly; stoutly; violently. [Obs.]
That rides so rank and bends his lance so fell. Fairfax.
RANK Rank, n. Etym: [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.