definitions

Rankine

[ rang-kin ]
/ ˈræŋ kɪn /

noun

William John Mac·quorn [muh-kwawrn] /məˈkwɔrn/, 1820–70, Scottish engineer and physicist.

adjective

Thermodynamics. pertaining to an absolute temperature scale (Rankine scale) in which the degree intervals are equal to those of the Fahrenheit scale and in which 0° Rankine equals −459.7° Fahrenheit.Compare absolute temperature scale, Kelvin(defs 2, 3).

RELATED CONTENT

Words All Book Lovers Should Be UsingRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What Do Hurricane Category Numbers Mean?Part of the drama of hurricane season revolves around the predicting and changing of the severity – or category – of the storm.
READ MORE
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rankine scale

Rankine scale

noun

an absolute scale of temperature in which the unit of temperature is equal to that on the Fahrenheit scale and the zero value of temperature is equal to –459.67°FCompare Kelvin scale
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

Science definitions for rankine scale

Rankine scale

[ răng′kĭn ]

A scale of absolute temperature having the same degree increments as those of the Fahrenheit scale, in which the freezing point of water is 491.69° and the boiling point is 671.69°. A temperature in degrees Fahrenheit is converted to a temperature in degrees Rankine by the addition of 459.67°.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.