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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RATE, n. [L. ratus, reor, contracted from retor, redor, or resor. See Ratio and Reason.]
1. The proportion or standard by which quantity or value is adjusted; as silver valued at the rate of six shillings and eight pence the ounce.
The rate and standard of wit was different then from what it is in these days.
2. Price or amount stated or fixed on any thing. A king may purchase territory at too dear a rate. The rate of interest is prescribed by law.
3. Settled allowance; as a daily rate of provisions. 2 Kings 25.
4. Degree; comparative height or value.
I am a spirit of no common rate.
In this did his holiness and godliness apear above the rate and pitch of other men's, in that he was so infintely merciful.
5. Degree in which any thing is done. the ship sails at the rate of seven knots an hour.
Many of the horse could not march at that rate, nor come lup soon enough.
6. Degree of value; price. Wheat in England is often sold at the rate of fifty shillings the quarter. wit may be purchased at too dear a rate.
7. a tax or sum assessed by authority on property for public use, according to its income or value; as parish rates; town rates; highway rates.
8. In the navy, the order or class of a ship, according to its magnitude or force. Ships of the first rate mount a hundred guns or upwards; those of the second rate carry fRomans 90 to 98 guns; those of the third rate carry fRomans 64 to 80 guns; those of the fourth rate fRomans 50 to 60 guns; those of the fifth rate fRomans 32 to 44 guns; those of the sixth rate fRomans 20 to 30 guns. Those of the two latter rates are called frigates.
RATE, v.t.
1. To set a certain value on; to value at a certain price or degree of excellence.
You seem not high enough your joys to rate.
Instead of rating the man by his performances, we too frequently rate the performance by the man.
2. To fix the magnitude, force or order, as of ships. A ship is rated in the first class, or as a ship of the line.
RATE, v.i.
1. To be set or considered in a class, as a ship. The ship rates as a ship of the line.
2. To make an estimate.
RATE, v.t. [See Read. It is probably allied to rattle, and perhaps to L. rudo.]
To chide with vehemence; to reprove; to scold; to censure violently.
Go, rate thy minions, proud insulting boy.
An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, sir.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected"
2: amount of a charge or payment relative to some basis; "a 10-minute phone call at that rate would cost $5" [syn: rate, charge per unit]
3: the relative speed of progress or change; "he lived at a fast pace"; "he works at a great rate"; "the pace of events accelerated" [syn: pace, rate]
4: a quantity or amount or measure considered as a proportion of another quantity or amount or measure; "the literacy rate"; "the retention rate"; "the dropout rate" v
1: assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide" [syn: rate, rank, range, order, grade, place]
2: be worthy of or have a certain rating; "This bond rates highly"
3: estimate the value of; "How would you rate his chances to become President?"; "Gold was rated highly among the Romans" [syn: rate, value]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (rated; rating) Etymology: Middle English Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to rebuke angrily or violently 2. obsolete to drive away by scolding intransitive verb to voice angry reprimands II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin (pro) rata (parte) according to a fixed proportion Date: 15th century 1. a. reckoned value ; valuation b. obsolete estimation 2. obsolete a fixed quantity 3. a. a fixed ratio between two things b. a charge, payment, or price fixed according to a ratio, scale, or standard: as (1) a charge per unit of a public-service commodity (2) a charge per unit of freight or passenger service (3) a unit charge or ratio used in assessing property taxes (4) British a local tax 4. a. a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else <her typing rate was 80 words per minute> b. an amount of payment or charge based on another amount; specifically the amount of premium per unit of insurance 5. relative condition or quality ; class III. verb (rated; rating) Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. obsolete allot 2. a. to set an estimate on ; value, esteem <black is rated very high this season> b. to determine or assign the relative rank or class of ; grade <rate a seaman> c. to estimate the normal capacity or power of 3. consider, regard <was rated an excellent pianist> 4. to fix the amount of premium to be charged per unit of insurance on 5. to have a right to ; deserve <she rated special privileges> intransitive verb to enjoy a status of special privilege <really rates with the boss> Synonyms: see estimate

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a stated numerical proportion between two sets of things (the second usu. expressed as unity), esp. as a measure of amount or degree (moving at a rate of 50 miles per hour) or as the basis of calculating an amount or value (rate of taxation). 2 a fixed or appropriate charge or cost or value; a measure of this (postal rates; the rate for the job). 3 rapidity of movement or change (travelling at a great rate; prices increasing at a dreadful rate). 4 class or rank (first-rate). 5 Brit. a an assessment levied by local authorities at so much per pound of the assessed value of buildings and land owned or leased. b (in pl.) the amount payable by this. --v. 1 tr. a estimate the worth or value of (I do not rate him very highly). b assign a fixed value to (a coin or metal) in relation to a monetary standard. c assign a value to (work, the power of a machine, etc.). 2 tr. consider; regard as (I rate them among my benefactors). 3 intr. (foll. by as) rank or be rated. 4 tr. Brit. a subject to the payment of a local rate. b value for the purpose of assessing rates. 5 tr. be worthy of, deserve. 6 tr. Naut. place in a specified class (cf. RATING(1)). Phrases and idioms: at any rate in any case, whatever happens. at this (or that) rate if this example is typical or this assumption is true. rate-capping Brit. the imposition of an upper limit on the rate leviable by a local authority. Etymology: ME f. OF f. med.L rata f. L pro rata parte or portione according to the proportional share f. ratus past part. of reri reckon 2. v.tr. scold angrily. Etymology: ME: orig. unkn. 3. var. of RET.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rate Rate, n. [OF., fr. L. rata (sc. pars), fr. ratus reckoned, fixed by calculation, p. p. of reri to reckon, to calculate. Cf. Reason.] 1. Established portion or measure; fixed allowance. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rate Rate, v. t. & i. [Perh. fr. E. rate, v. t., to value at a certain rate, to estimate, but more prob. fr. Sw. rata to find fault, to blame, to despise, to hold cheap; cf. Icel. hrat refuse, hrati rubbish.] To chide with vehemence; to scold; to censure violently. --Spencer. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rate Rate, v. i. 1. To be set or considered in a class; to have rank; as, the ship rates as a ship of the line. 2. To make an estimate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rate Rate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rated; p. pr. & vb. n. Rating.] 1. To set a certain estimate on; to value at a certain price or degree. 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(rates, rating, rated) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. The rate at which something happens is the speed with which it happens. The rate at which hair grows can be agonisingly slow... The world's tropical forests are disappearing at an even faster rate than experts had thought. N-COUNT: with supp 2. The rate at which something happens is the number of times it happens over a period of time. New diet books appear at a rate of nearly one a week... His heart rate was 30 beats per minute slower... N-COUNT: with supp 3. A rate is the amount of money that is charged for goods or services. Calls cost 36p per minute cheap rate and 48p at all other times. ...specially reduced rates for travellers using Gatwick Airport... N-COUNT: with supp see also exchange rate 4. The rate of taxation or interest is the amount of tax or interest that needs to be paid. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is earned, gained as profit, or borrowed. (BUSINESS) The government insisted that it would not be panicked into interest rate cuts. N-COUNT: with supp 5. If you rate someone or something as good or bad, you consider them to be good or bad. You can also say that someone or something rates as good or bad. Of all the men in the survey, they rate themselves the least fun-loving and the most responsible... Most rated it a hit... We rate him as one of the best... She rated the course highly... Reading books does not rate highly among Britons as a leisure activity. ...the most highly rated player in English football. VERB: no cont, V n adj, V n n, V n as n/adj, V n adv, V adv prep, V-ed 6. If you rate someone or something, you think that they are good. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL) It's flattering to know that other clubs have shown interest and seem to rate me... VERB: V n 7. If someone or something is rated at a particular position or rank, they are calculated or considered to be in that position on a list. He is generally rated Italy's No. 3 industrialist... He came here rated 100th on the tennis computer. V-PASSIVE: no cont, be V-ed n, be V-ed ord 8. If you say that someone or something rates a particular reaction, you mean that this is the reaction you consider to be appropriate. This is so extraordinary, it rates a medal and a phone call from the President... = merit VERB: no cont, V n 9. see also rating 10. You use at any rate to indicate that what you have just said might be incorrect or unclear in some way, and that you are now being more precise. She modestly suggests that 'sex, or at any rate gender, may account for the difference'... PHRASE: PHR with cl 11. You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are saying now, and not what was said before. Well, at any rate, let me thank you for all you did. PHRASE: PHR with cl 12. If you say that at this rate something bad or extreme will happen, you mean that it will happen if things continue to develop as they have been doing. At this rate they'd be lucky to get home before eight-thirty or nine. PHRASE: PHR with cl

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Standard, fixed measure. 2. Cost, price. 3. Worth, value, valuation, estimate, rank, degree. 4. Proportion, ratio, degree. 5. Tax, assessment, impost, charge, duty. II. v. a. 1. Estimate, value, appraise, set a value on, compute, reckon. 2. Scold, chide, reprimand, berate, reprove, censure, blame, find fault with. 3. Vilify, defame, abuse, traduce, asperse.

Moby Thesaurus

VAT, abuse, account, ad valorem duty, admonish, alcohol tax, alphabetize, amount, amusement tax, analyze, antecede, anyhow, anyway, apportion, appraise, appreciate, arithmetical proportion, arrange, assay, assess, assessment on default, assort, at all events, at any rate, bank rate, bark at, bawl out, be deserving, be entitled to, be regarded, be thought of, be worthy of, berate, betongue, blacken, break down, bring to book, calculate, calibrate, caliper, call, call to account, capital gains tax, capitation, capitation tax, career, caste, catalog, categorize, censure, charge, chastise, check a parameter, chew out, chide, class, classification, classify, clip, codify, come before, come first, compensatory interest, compound interest, compute, condition, continued fraction, conversion factor, corporation tax, correct, cost, count, customs, customs duty, damage, death duty, death tax, decrease, deserve, dial, digest, discount rate, divide, doomage, dress down, duty, earn, echelon, estate duty, estate tax, estimate, evaluate, evaluation, excess profits tax, excise, excise tax, execrate, exorbitant interest, expenditure, expense, export tax, face, face value, fair-trade, fathom, federal tax, fee, figure, file, fix, footing, form an estimate, fraction, front, fulminate against, gabelle, gait, gauge, geometric ratio, gift tax, give an appreciation, go ahead of, go before, go in advance, grade, graduate, gross interest, group, guess, harmonic proportion, have priority, have words with, head, head tax, head the table, head up, hierarchy, import tax, improper fraction, in any case, in any event, income tax, increase, index, inheritance tax, interest, interest rate, internal revenue tax, jaw, judge, kick off, kind, land tax, lead, lead off, lecture, lick, liquor tax, list, load with reproaches, local tax, lucrative interest, luxury tax, make an estimation, mark, market value, measure, mensurate, merit, mete, meter, mortgage points, net interest, net worth, notwithstanding, nuisance tax, number, objurgate, order, outrank, pace, par value, parcel, penal interest, pennyworth, percent, percentage, personal property tax, pigeonhole, place, plumb, poll, poll tax, position, power structure, precede, precedence, premium, price, price of money, price tag, prize, probe, progress, property tax, property-increment tax, proportion, protective tariff, provincial tax, quantify, quantize, quota, quote a price, quotum, rag, rail, rail at, range, rank, rate of interest, rates, rating, ratio, rave against, rebuke, reckon, reduce, regardless, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revenue tariff, revile, rule of three, sales tax, salt tax, scale, school tax, scold, score, set at, set down, set straight, severance tax, simple interest, size, size up, sort, sound, span, spank, specific duty, speed, sphere, stage, stand first, standing, state tax, station, status, step, straighten out, stride, subdivide, survey, tab, tabulate, take a reading, take down, take precedence, take to task, tariff, tariff duty, telephone tax, thunder against, toll, tongue-lash, travel, tread, triangulate, type, upbraid, use tax, usher in, usury, valorize, valuate, valuation, value, value added tax, value received, velocity, vilify, vituperate, weigh, window tax, worth, yell at, yelp at