rate 1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

rate¹

PRONUNCIATION:	rt
NOUN:	1. A quantity measured with respect to another measured quantity: a rate of speed of 60 miles an hour. 2. A measure of a part with respect to a whole; a proportion: the mortality rate; a tax rate. 3. The cost per unit of a commodity or service: postal rates. 4. A charge or payment calculated in relation to a particular sum or quantity: interest rates. 5. Level of quality. 6. Chiefly British A locally assessed property tax. Often used in the plural.
VERB:	Inflected forms: rat·ed, rat·ing, rates
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1. To calculate the value of; appraise. See synonyms at estimate. 2. To place in a particular rank or grade. 3. To regard or account: rated the movie excellent. 4. To value for purposes of taxation. 5. To set a rate for (goods to be shipped). 6. To specify the performance limits of (a machine, for example): This fuse is rated at 50 amperes. 7. Informal To merit or deserve: people that rate special treatment. See synonyms at earn¹.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	1. To be ranked in a particular class. 2. Informal To have status, importance, or influence.
IDIOM:	at any rate 1. Whatever the case may be. 2. At least.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin rata, proportion, short for Latin (pr) rat (parte), (according to a) fixed (part), from feminine ablative past participle of rr, to consider, reckon. See ar- in Appendix I.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.