rand

1
[ rand ]
/ rænd /

noun

(in shoemaking) a strip of leather set in a shoe at the heel before the lifts are attached.
British Dialect.
  1. a strip or long slice.
  2. a border or margin.

verb (used with object)

to provide (footwear) with rands.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of rand

1
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German rand border, margin

Words nearby rand

rancho palos verdes, rancid, rancor, rancorous, rancour, rand, rand, ayn, rand, the, randall, randallstown, randan

Definition for rand (2 of 5)

rand2
[ rand ]
/ rænd /

noun

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

Origin of rand

2
1960–65; < Afrikaans, after The Rand (Witwatersrand), a major gold mining area

Definition for rand (3 of 5)

Rand
[ rand ]
/ rænd /

noun

Ayn [ahyn] /aɪn/,1905–82, U.S. novelist and essayist, born in Russia.

Definition for rand (4 of 5)

Witwatersrand
[ wit-waw-terz-rand, -wot-erz- ]
/ ˈwɪtˌwɔ tərzˌrænd, -ˌwɒt ərz- /

noun

a rocky ridge in S Africa, in the Republic of South Africa, near Johannesburg.
Also called The Rand.

Definition for rand (5 of 5)

Rand, The
[ rand ]
/ rænd /

noun

Witwatersrand.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for rand

British Dictionary definitions for rand (1 of 4)

rand1
/ (rænd, rɒnt) /

noun

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

Word Origin for rand

C20: from Afrikaans, shortened from Witwatersrand, referring to the gold-mining there; related to rand ²

British Dictionary definitions for rand (2 of 4)

rand2
/ (rænd) /

noun

shoemaking a leather strip put in the heel of a shoe before the lifts are put on
dialect
  1. a strip or margin; border
  2. a strip of cloth; selvage

Word Origin for rand

Old English; related to Old High German rant border, rim of a shield, Old Norse rönd shield, rim

British Dictionary definitions for rand (3 of 4)

Rand
/ (rænd) /

noun

the Rand short for Witwatersrand

British Dictionary definitions for rand (4 of 4)

Witwatersrand
/ (wɪtˈwɔːtəzˌrænd, Afrikaans vətˈvɑːtərsˈrant) /

noun

a rocky ridge in NE South Africa: contains the richest gold deposits in the world, also coal and manganese; chief industrial centre is Johannesburg. Height: 1500–1800 m (5000–6000 ft)Also called: the Rand, the Reef
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012