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

The bank has currently booked 6.588 billion rand pretax in provisions, suggesting the need for a top-up, the analysts write.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

It now takes about 17 rand to buy one dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

This would bring the total to 600m rand, way below the 4.6bn rand requested by researchers.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

Big Boy asked for 220 rand for his services, but Locke refused to pay.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

The penalty for violating the pass laws was thirty days in jail or a fine of fifty rand, nearly half her monthly salary.

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