ranger

American  

[reyn-jer] / ˈreɪn dʒər /

noun

1. forest ranger.

2. one of a body of armed guards who patrol a region.

3. (initial capital letter) a U.S. soldier in World War II specially trained for making surprise raids and attacks in small groups.

4. a soldier specially trained in the techniques of guerrilla warfare, especially in jungle terrain.

5. a person who ranges or roves.

6. (especially in Texas) a member of the state police.

7. British. a keeper of a royal forest or park.

8. Building Trades. wale.

9. (initial capital letter) one of a series of instrumented U.S. space probes launched in the 1960s that transmitted closeup pictures of the moon before impacting the lunar surface.

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ranger ¹ British  

/ ˈreɪndʒə /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) an official in charge of a forest, park, estate, nature reserve, etc

2. Brit equivalent: warden.  a person employed to patrol a State or national park or forest

3. one of a body of armed troops employed to police a State or district

   a Texas Ranger

4. (in the US and certain other armies) a commando specially trained in making raids

5. a person who wanders about large areas of country; a rover

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Ranger ² British  

/ ˈreɪndʒə /

noun

1. a member of the senior branch of the Guides

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Ranger ³ British  

/ ˈreɪndʒə /

noun

1. any of a series of nine American lunar probes launched between 1961 and 1965, three of which transmitted to earth photographs of the moon

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Other Word Forms

• underranger noun

Etymology

Origin of ranger

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; range, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The rangers' job involves encouraging people to behave responsibly and to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

From BBC

“If I had known you were taking pictures, I would have worn my good gun,” special ranger H.D.

From Barron's

Most people “probably won’t even see the notice unless it is posted at all the trailheads and even then — without rangers denying access on the spot, people will ignore the signs,” wrote Tria Belcourt.

From Los Angeles Times

Rhino poaching almost doubled in South Africa's Kruger National Park in 2025 compared to the previous year, despite interventions including dehorning and lie detector tests for rangers, the government said Tuesday.

From Barron's

I wouldn’t do well as a forest ranger, Jonathan thought.

From Literature