A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Rank, Ranck, v. Also: ranke. [e.m.E. ranck (1590), f. Rank n.] tr. a. To arrange (persons or things) in a row or line; to draw up. Appar. only Sc. till 1667. b. reflex.To ‘fall in’ beside; to join. (But perh. another, earlier, instance of d below.) c. fig. To draw up or list (items). d. To class or classify. —a. 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 2.
To ring ȝour drummis & rank ȝour men of weir 1625 Aberd. B. Rec. III 2.
The toune being rancket and put under commandement, the muscateres be thame selffes [etc.] c1650 Spalding I 137.
The marques him self began to rank and put his men in ordour Urquhart Rabelais i i.
They found nine flaggons set in such order, as they use to ranke their kyles in Gasconie —b. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 34.
[Men] dar aspyre to the hieast estait of kingdome yet hes rankit thame selffis in the lawest ordour of knaves —c. 1680 Testimony of Arch. Alison in Cloud of Witnesses 41.
It would take a long summer day to rank them [sc. sins] up, and not win at them all —d. 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix.
To be ranked among indifferentes 1615 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 174.
The … brokin men of the yllis, in the quhilk nomber I disdanit to rank myself
