grade

A degree of rank; a step in order or dignity.

← grace × grafting →

Grade
·noun A harsh scraping or cutting; a grating. II. Grade ·vt To cross with some better breed; to imp...

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
grade
(French.) 1. A degree or rank in order or dignity, civil, military, or ecclesiastical. 2. A step...

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.