What is "grade"

improved \improved\ adj.

1. advanced to a more desirable or valuable or excellent state. Opposite of unimproved. [Narrower terms: built, reinforced; cleared, tilled ; {developed; grade ; {graded, graveled ] Also See: {restored.

2. changed for the better; as, her improved behavior.

   Syn: amended.

1510s, "degree of measurement," from French grade "grade, degree" (16c.), from Latin gradus "step, pace, gait, walk;" figuratively "a step, stage, degree," related to gradi "to walk, step, go," from PIE *ghredh- (cognates: Lithuanian gridiju "to go, wander," Old Church Slavonic gredo "to come," Old Irish in-greinn "he pursues," and second element in congress, progress, etc.).\n

Replaced Middle English gree "step, degree in a series," from Old French grei "step," from Latin gradus. Railway sense is from 181

1. Meaning "class of things having the same quality or value" is from 1807; meaning "division of a school curriculum equivalent to one year" is from 1835; that of "letter-mark indicating assessment of a student's work" is from 1886 (earlier used of numerical grades). Grade A "top quality, fit for human consumption" (originally of milk) is from a U.S. system instituted in 191

1650s, "to arrange in grades," from grade (n.). Related: Graded; grading.

n. 1 A rating. 2 The performance of an individual or group on an examination or test, expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol; a score. 3 A degree or level of something; a position within a scale; a degree of quality. vb. 1 To assign scores to the components of an academic test. 2 To assign a score to overall academic performance. 3 To flatten, level, or smooth a large surface. 4 (label en sewing) To remove or trim part of a seam allowance from a finished seam so as to reduce bulk and make the finished piece more even when turned right side out.

1. n. a body of students who are taught together; "early morning classes are always sleepy" [syn: class, form]

2. a relative position or degree of value in a graded group; "lumber of the highest grade" [syn: level, tier]

3. the gradient of a slope or road or other surface; "the road had a steep grade"

4. one-hundredth of a right angle [syn: grad]

5. a degree of ablaut [syn: gradation]

6. a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance); "she made good marks in algebra"; "grade A milk"; "what was your score on your homework?" [syn: mark, score]

7. the height of the ground on which something stands; "the base of the tower was below grade" [syn: ground level]

8. a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality; "a moderate degree of intelligence"; "a high level of care is required"; "it is all a matter of degree" [syn: degree, level]

9. a variety of cattle produced by crossbreeding with a superior breed

1. v. assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide" [syn: rate, rank, range, order, place]

2. level to the right gradient

3. assign a grade or rank to, according to one's evaluation; "grade tests"; "score the SAT essays"; "mark homework" [syn: score, mark]

4. determine the grade of or assign a grade to

In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a grade to a climbing route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route. Different aspects of climbing each have their own grading system, and many different nationalities developed their own, distinctive grading systems.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the difficulty of a climb including the technical difficulty of the moves, the strength and stamina required, the level of commitment, and the difficulty of protecting the climber. Different grading systems consider these factors in different ways, so no two grading systems have an exact one-to-one correspondence.

Climbing grades are inherently subjective. They may be the opinion of one or a few climbers, often the first ascentionist or the author(s) of a guidebook. A grade for an individual route may also be a consensus reached by many climbers who have climbed the route. While grades are usually applied fairly consistently across a climbing area, there are often perceived differences between grading at different climbing areas. Because of these variables, a given climber might find a route to be either easier or more difficult than expected for the grade applied.

Grade may refer to:

• Grading (education), a teacher's evaluation of a student's performance in class
• Grade level, Educational stage, the numbering of the year a student has reached in school
• Grade (music), a method of formally assessing the accomplishments of pupils learning musical instruments

In the sport of bouldering, problems are assigned technical grades according to several established systems, which are often distinct from those used in roped climbing. Bouldering grade systems in wide use include the Hueco "V" grades (known as the V-scale), Fontainebleau technical grades, route colors, Peak District grades, and British technical grades. Historically, the three-level "B" system and even the Yosemite Decimal System (sometimes with a "B" prepended, as in "B5.12") were also used.

Grade is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Hans Grade (1879–1946), German aviation pioneer
• Leslie Grade (1916–1979), British theatrical agent
• Lew Grade (1906–1998), British impresario
• Michael Grade (born 1943), British television executive

The grade (also called slope, incline, gradient, pitch or rise) of a physical feature, landform or constructed line refers to the tangent of the angle of that surface to the horizontal. It is a special case of the gradient in calculus where zero indicates gravitational level. A larger number indicates higher or steeper degree of "tilt". Often slope is calculated as a ratio of "rise" to "run", or as a fraction ("rise over run") in which run is the horizontal distance and rise is the vertical distance.

The grades or slopes of existing physical features such as canyons and hillsides, stream and river banks and beds are often described. Grades are typically specified for new linear constructions (such as roads, landscape grading, roof pitches, railroads, aqueducts, and pedestrian or bicycle circulation routes). The grade may refer to the longitudinal slope or the perpendicular cross slope.

Grade is a melodic hardcore band from Canada, often credited as some of the originators of screamo and pioneers in blending metallic hardcore with the earnesty and melody of emo, and - most notably - the alternating screaming/singing style later popularized by bands like Poison the Well and Hawthorne Heights. Formed in 1993, Grade found inspiration in the hardcore bands Integrity and Chokehold. By 1995, however, they had discovered Indian Summer and Rye Coalition and began developing the sound and style for which they'd become known.

In information technology consulting, a grade aims to explicitly recognize a certain professional level, both within the organization and to customer organizations. A grade is separated from a place in the line hierarchy of a company, it underlines the very possibility of recognizing a person (top) level without being necessarily in a management functions.

The most commonly used system of grading consultants is the following:

• Associate consultant: An associate consultant is at the beginning of their consulting career and will typically do work to support the consultants and senior consultants - data collection and analysis, workshop support, etc. An associate consultant can also refer to a day rate contractor at any level, differentiating them from an employee of the firm (e.g. associate managing consultant).
• Consultant: A consultant is ‘learning the trade’ within a specific domain of expertise. A consultant is developing in most competency dimensions and work in different roles on different projects in a specific domain.
• Senior consultant: A senior consultant has developed a specialisation within a specific domain of expertise. A senior consultant is capable of working independently as well as in teams. A senior consultant is often responsible for the completion of a part of a project or activities for which he/she leads a small team. A senior consultant is more client oriented and explores sales activities.
• Managing consultant: A managing consultant has started to excel in some of the competency dimensions. A managing consultant is known for domain expertise and is capable of generating his or her own work and that of others. As such the managing consultant is often responsible for business volume, through (add-on) sales and delivering a project. A managing consultant can act as a team lead or counsellor for other team members.
• Principal consultant: A principal consultant has a strong business impact and is often part of the company's leadership. A principal consultant is capable of shaping a piece of business being the leader in a specific domain and in any other domains. A principal consultant develops high-level business relations and high-impact projects. A principal is capable of leading large teams and also generates new business ideas.