ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rang

v. · n.
US //ˈɹæŋ// UK //ɹˈæŋ// rang
  1. 1 past tense of ring (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    the past tense of 'ring'. You use this when a bell made a sound or when you called someone in the past.

    the simple past tense of 'ring'. It is used to describe the action of a bell sounding or a person initiating a telephone call in the past.

    Example

    The church bells rang loudly at noon to mark the start of the festival.

    Example

    The telephone rang incessantly throughout the morning, but the receptionist was too occupied with the arriving guests to answer it.

    Pitfall
    I have rang him three times today.
    I have rung him three times today.

    Use 'rang' for the simple past, but use 'rung' after 'have', 'has', or 'had'.

  2. 2 land division (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Dialect Technical

    a long, thin piece of land used for farming in parts of Canada.

    a historical system of land division in Quebec consisting of long, narrow rectangular lots.

    Example

    The old maps show how each rang was positioned along the river.

    Example

    The seigneurial system in New France was characterised by the 'rang' pattern, ensuring that every farmer had direct access to the waterfront.

    Usage

    This term is specific to the historical geography of Quebec and French Canada.

Origin

Borrowed from French rang.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026