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.
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.
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.