Ranger

How to spell ranger

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce ranger

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does ranger mean?

1. nounA person who guards or patrols a forest, park, or area of wild land.

Ranger in a sentence

• The park ranger warned hikers about the swollen river crossing.

• A forest ranger reported the illegal campfire to the authorities.

Where does ranger come from?

Language of origin: French

The word comes from the verb 'range', which entered Middle English from the Old French rangier, meaning 'to set in a row' or 'to put in order', itself built on the noun renc or ranc, meaning 'row' or 'rank' (a Germanic borrowing into French). By the late 1300s a 'ranger' meant someone who roved or ranged over a stretch of countryside, especially a sworn officer who patrolled a royal forest to guard the game and timber. From that forest-keeper sense the word broadened to any mounted patroller of wild land, which is why armed frontier units in America and elsewhere later took the name. The agent suffix -er, the same one in 'farmer' and 'teacher', simply marks the person who ranges, and the silent-looking soft 'g' (sounded like the 'g' in 'gem') is the main spelling trap.

How the word is built

• range (from Old French ranger: to set in a row)
• -er (agent suffix: one who does)