break ranks

rank

B b

Definitions of break ranks words

noun break ranks to fall out of line, esp when under attack 3
noun break ranks if you say that a member of a group or organization breaks ranks, you mean that they disobey the instructions of their group or organization 3
noun break ranks a number of persons forming a separate class in a social hierarchy or in any graded body. 1
noun break ranks a social or official position or standing, as in the armed forces: the rank of captain. 1
noun break ranks high position or station in the social or some similar scale: a woman of rank. 1
noun break ranks a class in any scale of comparison. 1

before 1560

One of the 32% oldest English words

1560-70; < French ranc (noun, obsolete), Old French renc, ranc, rang row, line < Germanic, akin to ring1

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer