ranger
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Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈɹeɪ̯nd͡ʒə/ (UK); /ˈɹeɪ̯nd͡ʒɚ/ (US)[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Middle English raunger, an agent noun from raungen (“to range”) (see range).[2][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
A gamekeeper, a sworn officer who walks through a forest to protect it: the late 14th century in Etymonline (early 14th century in surnames), 1455 in the OED.[3][4]
Semantic evolution
A rover or wanderer is from the 1590s.[3][4] A man, often mounted, who polices an area is from the 1660s,[3][4] as in the Texas Rangers,[5] and in America an officer who rounds up stray livestock from 1744.[4] The elite American combat unit of Rangers is so called from 1942.[3][4] A warden of a national park is a modern sense.[6][5]
Timeline
- 1455 – a forest officer.[4]
- 1593 – a rover.[4]
- 1670 – mounted troops patrolling an area.[4]
- 1942 – a US Army Ranger.[3][4]
Modern meaning
Noun
- An official who looks after and patrols a forest, park or nature reserve; a warden.
- A member of a body of armed men who patrol a region.
- (US) A soldier trained for raids and close combat.
- A wanderer or rover.
Word family
- bushranger
- underranger
- Texas ranger
Related words
Usage notes
In British use a Ranger is also a member of the senior branch of the Guides.[5]
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin