n.

1. an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet";
   scope, reach, orbit, compass, ambit
   
   • the ambit of municipal legislation
   • within the compass of this article
   • within the scope of an investigation
   • outside the reach of the law
   • in the political orbit of a world power
2. the limits within which something can be effective;
   reach
   
   • range of motion
   • he was beyond the reach of their fire
3. a large tract of grassy open land on which livestock can graze
   
   • they used to drive the cattle across the open range every spring
   • he dreamed of a home on the range
4. a series of hills or mountains;
   mountain range, range of mountains, chain, mountain chain, chain of mountains
   
   • the valley was between two ranges of hills
   • the plains lay just beyond the mountain range
5. a place for shooting (firing or driving) projectiles of various kinds
   
   • the army maintains a missile range in the desert
   • any good golf club will have a range where you can practice
6. the limits of the values a function can take
   
   • the range of this function is the interval from 0 to 1
7. a variety of different things or activities
   
   • he answered a range of questions
   • he was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection
8. the limit of capability;
   compass, reach, grasp
   
   • within the compass of education
9. a kitchen appliance used for cooking food;
   stove, kitchen stove, kitchen range, cooking stove
   
   • dinner was already on the stove

v.

1. change or be different within limits;
   run
   
   • Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion
   • Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent
   • The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals
   • My students range from very bright to dull
2. move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment;
   roll, wander, swan, stray, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, drift, vagabond
   
   • The gypsies roamed the woods
   • roving vagabonds
   • the wandering Jew
   • The cattle roam across the prairie
   • the laborers drift from one town to the next
   • They rolled from town to town
3. have a range; be capable of projecting over a certain distance, as of a gun
   
   • This gun ranges over two miles
4. range or extend over; occupy a certain area;
   straddle
   
   • The plants straddle the entire state
5. lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line;
   array, lay out, set out
   
   • lay out the clothes
   • lay out the arguments
6. feed as in a meadow or pasture;
   crop, browse, graze, pasture
   
   • the herd was grazing
7. let eat
   
   • range the animals in the prairie
8. assign a rank or rating to;
   rate, rank, order, grade, place
   
   • how would you rank these students?
   • The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide