n. [ F. grade, L. gradus step, pace, grade, from gradi to step, go. Cf. Congress, Degree, Gradus. ] 1. A step or degree in any series, rank, quality, order; relative position or standing; as, grades of military rank; crimes of every grade; grades of flour. [ 1913 Webster ]

They also appointed and removed, at their own pleasure,
teachers of every grade. Buckle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In a railroad or highway: (a) The rate of ascent or descent; gradient; deviation from a level surface to an inclined plane; -- usually stated as so many feet per mile, or as one foot rise or fall in so many of horizontal distance; as, a heavy grade; a grade of twenty feet per mile, or of 1 in 264. (b) A graded ascending, descending, or level portion of a road; a gradient. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Stock Breeding) The result of crossing a native stock with some better breed. If the crossbreed have more than three fourths of the better blood, it is called high grade. [ 1913 Webster ]

At grade, on the same level; -- said of the crossing of a railroad with another railroad or a highway, when they are on the same level at the point of crossing. --
Down grade, a descent, as on a graded railroad. --
Up grade, an ascent, as on a graded railroad. --
Equating for grades. See under Equate. --
Grade crossing, a crossing at grade. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Graded; p. pr. & vb. n. Grading. ] 1. To arrange in order, steps, or degrees, according to size, quality, rank, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To reduce to a level, or to an evenly progressive ascent, as the line of a canal or road. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Stock Breeding) To cross with some better breed; to improve the blood of. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. ordered by some quantitative ranking; as, Reading tests of graded difficulty.
Syn. -- ordered, ranked. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. leveled and drained but not paved; -- of roads.
Syn. -- graveled. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Cf. AS. grad grade, step, order, fr. L. gradus. See Grade. ] Decent; orderly. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. -- adv. Decently; in order. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who grades, or that by means of which grading is done or facilitated.

2. Specifically: A vehicle used for levelling earth, esp. one with a plow blade suspended from the center, used specifically for grading roads. [ PJC ]