grade

noun

1》 a particular level of rank, quality, proficiency, or value.

    ↘Linguistics a relative position in a series of forms involving ablaut.

2》 a mark indicating the quality of a student's work.

    ↘N. Amer. (with specifying ordinal number) those pupils in a school who are grouped by age or ability for teaching at a particular level for a year: she teaches first grade.

3》 chiefly N. Amer. a gradient or slope.

4》 a variety of cattle produced by crossing with a superior breed.

verb

1》 arrange in or allocate to grades.

2》 chiefly N. Amer. give a mark to (a student's work).

3》 pass gradually from one level to another.

4》 reduce (a road) to an easy gradient.

5》 cross (livestock) with a superior breed.

Phrases

at grade N. Amer. on the same level.

make the grade informal succeed.

Origin

C16: from Fr., or from L. gradus 'step'.