n.
    - a particular level of rank, quality, proficiency, or value. 
▸Linguistics  a relative position in a series of forms involving ablaut.
 - a mark indicating the quality of a student's work. 
▸
N. Amer. (with specifying ordinal number) those pupils in a school who are grouped by age or ability for teaching at a particular level for a year:
 she teaches first grade.
 - chiefly N. Amer. a gradient or slope.
 - a variety of cattle produced by crossing with a superior breed.
 
v.
     - arrange in or allocate to grades.
 - chiefly N. Amer. give a mark to (a student's work).
 - pass gradually from one level to another.
 - reduce (a road) to an easy gradient.
 - cross (livestock) with a superior breed.
 
 
  Phrase
  
    - at grade
 N. Amer. on the same level.  - make the grade
 informal succeed. 
   
  Etymology
  C16: from Fr., or from L. gradus ‘step’.