ranges

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of range.

   Two parallel ranges rise sharply on either side of the valley.

   The study compared income ranges across several different cities.

   Note

   One spelling covers every noun meaning of range in the plural: chains of mountains, kitchen stoves, shooting grounds, military testing areas, distances to a target. It is also identical to the present-tense verb, so position does the sorting. After a number or article it is a noun (two ranges, the ranges). After a singular subject it is a verb (the herd ranges widely).

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of range.

   Her research ranges across several unrelated disciplines.

   The price of a ticket ranges from ten to forty dollars.

   Note

   A singular subject calls for this -s form, and the constructions around it shift with the meaning. For numbers and measurements it pairs with from… to or between, as in "the price ranges from ten to fifty dollars." For people and animals it means roaming, either alone (the herd ranges freely) or with a direct object (a hawk ranges the hills). Unlike the plural noun, it never follows an article.

Showing meanings only. Show all 2