Grade

Grade, grād, n. a degree or step in rank or dignity: the degree of slope on a road as compared with the horizontal: a class of animals produced by crossing a common breed with one purer—also adj.: a group of animals branching off from a common stem.—v.t. Grā′date, to cause to blend gradually from one tint of colour to another.—v.i. to effect gradation.—adv. Gradā′tim, gradually.—n. Gradā′tion, a rising step by step: progress from one degree or state to another: position attained: state of being arranged in ranks: (mus.) a diatonic succession of chords: (paint.) the gradual blending of tints.—adjs. Gradā′tional; Gradā′tioned, formed by gradations or stages; Grad′atory, proceeding step by step, adapted for walking or forward movement; Grā′dient, gradually rising: rising with a regular slope.—n. the degree of slope on a road or railway: the difference in the height of the barometer between one place and another place at some distance: an incline.—ns. Grād′ienter, a surveyor's instrument for determining grades; Grād′in, Gradine′, one of a series of rising seats, as in an amphitheatre: a raised step or ledge behind an altar; Gradin′o, a decoration for the gradin.—adj. Grad′ūal, advancing by grades or degrees: regular and slow.—n. in the Roman Church, the portion of the mass between the epistle and the gospel, formerly always sung from the steps of the altar: the book containing such anthems—also Grail.—ns. Grad′ūalism, Gradūal′ity.—adv. Grad′ūally.—v.t. Grad′ūāte, to divide into regular intervals: to mark with degrees: to proportion.—v.i. to pass by grades or degrees: to pass through a university course and receive a degree.—n. one admitted to a degree in a college, university, or society.—p.adj. Grad′ūāted, marked with degrees, as a thermometer.—ns. Grad′uateship; Gradūā′tion; Grad′ūātor, a mathematical instrument for graduating or dividing lines into regular intervals; Graduc′tion (astron.), the division of circular arcs into degrees, minutes, &c.; Grā′dus, a dictionary of Greek or Latin prosody—contraction of gradus ad Parnassum, a step or stair to Parnassus, the abode of the Muses.—Down, and Up, grade, a descending or ascending part, as of a road. [Fr.,—L. gradus, a step—gradi, to step.]