rand

¹ American  

[rand] / rænd /

noun

1. (in shoemaking) a strip of leather set in a shoe at the heel before the lifts are attached.

2. British Dialect.

   1. a strip or long slice.

   2. a border or margin.

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verb (used with object)

1. to provide (footwear) with rands.

rand ² American  

[rand] / rænd /

noun

1. a coin and monetary unit of the Republic of South Africa, equal to 100 cents. R.

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Rand ³ American  

[rand] / rænd /

noun

1. Ayn 1905–82, U.S. novelist and essayist, born in Russia.

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rand ¹ British  

/ rænd /

noun

1. shoemaking a leather strip put in the heel of a shoe before the lifts are put on

2. dialect

   1. a strip or margin; border

   2. a strip of cloth; selvage

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Rand ² British  

/ rænd /

noun

1. short for Witwatersrand

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rand ³ British  

/ rɒnt, rænd /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of the Republic of South Africa, divided into 100 cents

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Etymology

Origin of rand¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German rand border, margin

Origin of rand²

1960–65; from Afrikaans, after The Rand ( def. ) (Witwatersrand), a major gold mining area

Example Sentences

It now takes about 17 rand to buy one dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Until the early 1980s, the South African rand was stronger than the U.S. dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Mr Mphahlele told the BBC that the 30,000 rand pay-out, which he had received for the violations he endured during his 10 years in prison, was an insult.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2025

A 100,000 rand reward has been offered to anyone with information on her whereabouts.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2024

My mom wrote to my gran, asking her to send the price of a train ticket, about thirty rand, to bring her home.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah