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range

/reɪndʒ/

/reɪndʒ/

Other forms: ranges; ranged; ranging

The word range refers to a variety of things or to an area in which something operates. The store offers the living room set in a range of colors. What's the range of that remote-controlled airplane?

As a noun, range can also be used to describe a set of mountains such as the Sierra Nevada or it can mean a grassy plain where cattle graze. As a verb, use range to mean a span or variety of things. Your family conversation at the dinner table probably ranges over a variety of topics. At school, you learn about many subjects ranging from English literature to calculus to European history.

Definitions of range
  1. noun
    a variety of different things or activities
    “he answered a range of questions”
    “he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection”
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    types:
    band
    a range of frequencies between two limits
    frequency band, waveband
    a band of adjacent radio frequencies (e.g., assigned for transmitting radio or television signals)
    type of:
    assortment, medley, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, mixture, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, variety
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  2. noun
    the limits within which something can be effective
    range of motion”
    synonyms: reach
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    types:
    earreach, earshot, hearing
    the range within which a voice can be heard
    eyeshot, view
    the range of the eye
    rifle range, rifle shot
    the distance that a rifle bullet will carry
    type of:
    limit
    as far as something can go
  3. noun
    the limit of capability
    synonyms: compass, grasp, reach
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    types:
    ken, sight
    the range of vision
    type of:
    capability, capableness, potentiality
    an aptitude that may be developed
  4. noun
    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”
    synonyms: ambit, compass, orbit, reach, scope
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    types:
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    approximate range, ballpark
    near to the scope or range of something
    confines, pale
    a bounded scope
    contrast
    the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness)
    internationalism, internationality
    quality of being international in scope
    latitude
    scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction
    horizon, purview, view
    the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated
    expanse, sweep
    a wide scope
    gamut
    a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut of emotions"
    spectrum
    a broad range of related objects, values, qualities, ideas, or activities
    palette, pallet
    the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art
    type of:
    extent
    the distance or area or volume over which something extends
  5. noun
    (mathematics) the set of values of the dependent variable for which a function is defined
    synonyms: image, range of a function
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    type of:
    set
    (mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols
  6. noun
    (statistics) the difference between the largest and smallest values in a set or frequency distribution
  7. verb
    change or be different within limits
    “Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion”
    “The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals”
    synonyms: run
    extend, go, lead, pass, run
    stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
    lead, run
    cause something to pass or lead somewhere
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    type of:
    be
    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
  8. verb
    have a range; be capable of projecting over a certain distance, as of a gun
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    types:
    carry
    be conveyed over a certain distance
  9. verb
    range or extend over; occupy a certain area
    synonyms: straddle
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    types:
    spread-eagle
    stretch over
    type of:
    be, comprise, constitute, make up, represent
    form or compose
  10. verb
    assign a rank or rating to
    synonyms: grade, order, place, rank, rate
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    types:
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    superordinate
    place in a superior order or rank
    shortlist
    put someone or something on a short list
    seed
    distribute (players or teams) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds
    reorder
    assign a new order to
    subordinate
    rank or order as less important or consider of less value
    prioritise, prioritize
    assign a priority to
    sequence
    arrange in a sequence
    downgrade
    rate lower; lower in value or esteem
    upgrade
    rate higher; raise in value or esteem
    invert, reverse
    reverse the position, order, relation, or condition of
    countermarch
    change the order of soldiers during a march
    outclass
    cause to appear in a lower class
    type of:
    evaluate, judge, pass judgment
    form a critical opinion of
  11. noun
    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
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    types:
    home range, home territory
    the area in which an animal normally ranges
    type of:
    parcel, parcel of land, piece of ground, piece of land, tract
    an extended area of land
  12. verb
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
    synonyms: browse, crop, graze, pasture
    crop, graze, pasture
    let feed in a field or pasture or meadow
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    type of:
    eat, feed
    take in food; used of animals only
  13. verb
    let eat
    range the animals in the prairie”
    Synonyms:
    browse, crop, graze, pasture
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
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    type of:
    feed, give
    give food to
  14. noun
    a series of hills or mountains
    “the valley was between two ranges of hills”
    synonyms: chain, chain of mountains, mountain chain, mountain range, range of mountains
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    examples:
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    Adirondack Mountains
    a mountain range in northeastern New York State; a popular resort area
    Admiralty Range
    mountains in Antarctica to the north of Victoria Land
    Alaska Range
    a mountain range in south central Alaska; contains Mount McKinley
    Allegheny Mountains
    the western part of the Appalachian Mountains; extending from northern Pennsylvania to southwestern Virginia
    the Alps
    a large mountain system in south-central Europe; scenic beauty and winter sports make them a popular tourist attraction
    Altai Mountains
    a mountain range in central Asia that extends a thousand miles from Kazakhstan eastward into western Mongolia and northern China
    Andes
    a mountain range in South America running 5000 miles along the Pacific coast
    Apennines
    a mountain range extending the length of the Italian peninsula
    Appalachian Mountains
    a mountain range in the eastern United States extending from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico; a historic barrier to early westward expansion of the United States
    Atlas Mountains
    a mountain range in northern Africa between the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert; extends from southwestern Morocco to northern Tunisia
    Australian Alps
    a range of mountains in Australia that forms the southern end of the Great Dividing Range
    Balkan Mountain Range
    the major mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula
    Berkshire Hills
    a low mountain range in western Massachusetts; a resort area
    Black Hills
    mountains in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming; sacred to the Sioux (whites settling in the Black Hills led to the Battle of Little Bighorn); site of Mount Rushmore
    Blue Ridge Mountains
    a range of the Appalachians extending from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia
    Cantabrian Mountains
    a range of mountains in northern Spain along the coast of the Bay of Biscay
    Carpathian Mountains
    a mountain range in central Europe that extends from Slovakia and southern Poland southeastward through western Ukraine to northeastern Romania; a popular resort area
    Cascade Mountains
    a mountain range in the northwestern United States extending through Washington and Oregon and northern California; a part of the Coast Range
    Catskill Mountains
    a range of the Appalachians to the west of the Hudson in southeastern New York; includes many popular resort areas
    Caucasus Mountains
    the mountain range in Caucasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea that forms part of the traditional border between Europe and Asia
    Coast Mountains
    a string of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to Lower California
    Cumberland Mountains
    the southwestern part of the Appalachians
    Dolomite Alps
    an eastern range of the Alps in northeastern Italy famous for their dolomitic limestone
    Great Dividing Range
    a mountain range running along the eastern coast of Australia
    Great Smoky Mountains
    part of the Appalachians between North Carolina and Tennessee
    Green Mountains
    a range of the Appalachian Mountains that extends from south to north through Vermont
    Guadalupe Mountains
    a mountain range in southern New Mexico and western Texas; the southern extension of the Sacramento Mountains
    Himalaya Mountains
    a mountain range extending 1500 miles on the border between India and Tibet; this range contains the world's highest mountain
    Hindu Kush Mountains
    a mountain range extending to the west of the Himalayas
    Karakoram Range
    a mountain range in northern Kashmir; an extension of the Hindu Kush; contains the 2nd highest peak
    Kuenlun Mountains
    a mountain range in western China that extends eastward from the Indian border for 1000 miles
    Mesabi Range
    a range of hills in northeastern Minnesota where rich iron ore deposits were discovered in 1887
    Mount Carmel
    a mountain range in northwestern Israel near the Mediterranean coast
    Nan Ling
    a mountain range in southeastern China running generally east to west
    Ozark Mountains
    an area of low mountains in northwestern Arkansas and southeastern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma
    Pamir Mountains
    a mountain range in central Asia that is centered in Tajikistan but extends into Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan and Pakistan and western China
    Pyrenees
    a chain of mountains between France and Spain
    Rhodope Mountains
    a mountain range in the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe; extends along the border between Greece and Bulgaria
    Rocky Mountains
    the chief mountain range of western North America; extends from British Columbia to northern New Mexico; forms the continental divide
    Sacramento Mountains
    mountain range in New Mexico to the east of the Rio Grande
    San Juan Mountains
    a mountain range in southwestern Colorado that is part of the Rocky Mountains
    Sayan Mountains
    a range of mountains in southern Siberia to the west of Lake Baikal; contain important mineral deposits
    Selkirk Mountains
    a range of the Rocky Mountains in southeastern British Columbia
    sierra
    a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)
    Sierra Madre Occidental
    a mountain range in northwestern Mexico that runs south from Arizona parallel to the Pacific coastline
    Sierra Madre Oriental
    a mountain range in northeastern Mexico the runs parallel to the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico
    Sierra Nevada Mountains
    a mountain range in eastern California; contains Mount Whitney
    Sierra Nevada
    a mountain range in southern Spain along the Mediterranean coast to the east of Granada
    St. Elias Mountains
    a range of mountains between Alaska and the Yukon territory
    Taconic Mountains
    a range of the Appalachian Mountains along the eastern border of New York with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont
    Teton Range
    a mountain range in northwest Wyoming; contains the Grand Teton
    Tien Shan
    a major mountain range of central Asia; extends 1,500 miles
    Transylvanian Alps
    a range of the southern Carpathian Mountains extending across central Romania
    Tyrolean Alps
    a popular tourist area in the Tyrol
    Ural Mountains
    a mountain range in western Russia extending from the Arctic to the Caspian Sea; forms part of the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia
    type of:
    formation, geological formation
    (geology) the geological features of the earth
  15. verb
    lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line
    synonyms: array, lay out, set out
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    types:
    compart
    lay out in parts according to a plan
    type of:
    arrange, set up
    put into a proper or systematic order
  16. noun
    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”
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    types:
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    practice range
    a place for practicing golf shots
    rifle range
    a range where people can practice shooting rifles
    test range
    a range for conducting tests
    firing range, target range
    a practice range for target practice
    driving range, golf range
    a practice range for practicing golf shots
    type of:
    facility, installation
    a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry
  17. noun
    a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
    synonyms: cooking stove, kitchen range, kitchen stove, stove
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    types:
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    charcoal burner
    a stove that burns charcoal as fuel
    cookstove
    a stove for cooking (especially a wood- or coal-burning kitchen stove)
    electric range
    a kitchen range in which the heat for cooking is provided by electric power
    gas cooker, gas range, gas stove
    a range with gas rings and an oven for cooking with gas
    potbelly, potbelly stove
    a bulbous stove in which wood or coal is burned
    Primus, Primus stove
    a portable paraffin cooking stove; used by campers
    spirit stove
    a stove that burns a volatile liquid fuel such as alcohol
    type of:
    kitchen appliance
    a home appliance used in preparing food
  18. verb
    move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
    synonyms: cast, drift, ramble, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond, wander
    drift, err, stray
    wander from a direct course or at random
    wander
    go via an indirect route or at no set pace
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    types:
    maunder
    wander aimlessly
    gad, gallivant, jazz around
    wander aimlessly in search of pleasure
    type of:
    go, locomote, move, travel
    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
Pronunciation
US

/reɪndʒ/

UK

/reɪndʒ/

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