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• rand
  rand

  noun

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

  noun

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

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

See Examples For:

rand Rand

The South Africa-based telecommunications company—which is majority-owned by Vodafone Group VOD 1.43%increase; green up pointing triangle —raised its final dividend for the year ended March 31 by 21% to 4.05 rand a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased 13% on a reported basis to 62.63 billion rand, while the corresponding margin grew to 37.4% from 36.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

Shell, along with BP, sold the refinery they jointly owned to South Africa’s state-owned Central Energy Fund in 2024 for one South African rand, or about six U.S. cents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

South Africa’s rand has surged 17% against the U.S. dollar over the last year as gold and platinum prices have risen on demand for safe-haven assets amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

A burger at Black Steer cost at least 20 rand.

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

Rand was well-versed in teaching the game from showing elementary-aged kids how to do it at the Tile Society in her hometown of Wyckoff, N.J.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Test your news knowledge: Who was brought before a Senate subcommittee this week after pages from his personal diary were released by Sen. Rand Paul?

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

Fellow Rand adherent Martin Anderson recruited Greenspan as an advisor to Richard M. Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

He became an active member of the libertarian salon surrounding anti-government writer and philosopher Ayn Rand.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

The speech received wide publicity in both the local and foreign press, and was printed, virtually word for word, in the Rand Daily Mail.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela