rate

rate¹ W1S1 [reıt] n

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1¦(number)¦

2¦(money)¦

3¦(speed)¦

4 at any rate

5 at this rate

6 first-rate/second-rate/third-rate

7 at a rate of knots

8 rates

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[Date: 1400-1500; : French; Origin: Medieval Latin rata, from Latin pro rata parte 'according to a fixed part', from ratus, past participle of reri 'to calculate']

1.) ¦(NUMBER)¦

the number of times something happens, or the number of examples of something within a certain period

birth/unemployment/crime etc rate

▪ Australia's unemployment rate rose to 6.5% in February.

▪ a rapid increase in the divorce rate

high/low rate of sth

▪ areas with high rates of crime

success/failure rate

(=the number of times that something succeeds or fails)

▪ It's a new technique and the failure rate is quite high.

▪ Immediately his heart rate (=the number of beats per minute) increased.

at a rate of sth

▪ Asylum seekers were entering Britain at a rate of 1,600 per day.

→↑birthrate, ↑death rate

2.) ¦(MONEY)¦

a charge or payment that is set according to a standard scale

at (a) ... rate

▪ people who pay tax at the highest rate

at a rate of sth

▪ They only pay tax at a rate of 5%.

interest/exchange/mortgage etc rate

▪ another reduction in the mortgage rate

rate of pay/tax/interest etc

▪ Nurses are demanding higher rates of pay.

special/reduced/lower rate

▪ Some hotels offer special rates for children.

hourly/weekly rate

(=the amount someone is paid per hour or week)

▪ What's the hourly rate for cleaning?

▪ $20 an hour is the going rate (=the usual amount paid) for private tuition.

→↑base rate,cut-rate at ↑cut-price, ↑exchange rate, ↑interest rate, ↑prime rate

3.) ¦(SPEED)¦

the speed at which something happens over a period of time

rate of

▪ an attempt to slow down the rate of economic growth

at (a) ... rate

▪ Children learn at different rates.

▪ Our money was running out at an alarming rate .

at a rate of sth

▪ Iceland is getting wider at a rate of about 0.5 cm per year.

4.) at any ratespoken

a) used when you are stating one definite fact in a situation that is uncertain or unsatisfactory

= ↑anyway

▪ They've had technical problems - at any rate that's what they told me.

b) used to introduce a statement that is more important than what was said before

= ↑anyway

▪ Well, at any rate, the next meeting will be on Wednesday.

5.) at this rate

spoken used to say what will happen if things continue to happen in the same way as now

▪ At this rate we won't ever be able to afford a holiday.

6.) first-rate/second-rate/third-rate

of good, bad, or very bad quality

▪ a cheap third-rate motel

7.) at a rate of knots

BrE informal very quickly

▪ Jack's getting through the ironing at a rate of knots!

8.) rates [plural]

a local tax, paid before 1990 by owners of buildings in Britain

rate ²

rate² v

1.)

a) [T]

to think that someone or something has a particular quality, value, or standard

▪ The company seems to rate him very highly (=think he is very good) .

be rated (as) sth

▪ Rhodes is currently rated the top junior player in the country.

b)

to be considered as having a particular quality, value, or standard

rate as

▪ That rates as one of the best meals I've ever had.

2.) [T] [i]BrE informal if you rate someone or something, you think they are very good

▪ I never rated him.

3.) rate sb's chances (of doing sth)

BrE spoken if you do not rate someone's chances of achieving something, you do not think that it is likely that they will achieve it

▪ I don't rate your chances of getting a ticket for the Leeds game.

▪ How do you rate your chances tomorrow (=do you think you will be successful?) ?

4.) [T] informal especially AmE to deserve something

▪ They rate a big thank-you for all their hard work.

▪ a local incident that didn't rate a mention in the national press

5.) be rated G/U/PG/X etc

if a film is rated G, U etc, it is officially judged to be suitable or unsuitable for people of a particular age to see

→↑X-rated