From Flunk to Grade
Loading the census…
Tap any rung for its meaning.
Two stepping stones: the C (rung 3, for crank) and the Z (rung 5, for craze) — each borrowed to keep a rung a real word, then given back before the end. There may be several par routes — the census above shows which ones climbers actually took.
To fail a test, course, or examination.
The origin of 'flunk' is uncertain, though it appeared in American English and may be related to 'funk' meaning a state of fear or to 'flinch'. Some suggest a connection to dialect words meaning to back down. It remains a chiefly North American informal term.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗A level of quality, rank, or a mark given for schoolwork.
From French 'grade' or directly from Latin 'gradus', meaning a step or degree. Latin 'gradus' comes from 'gradi', to walk or step. The word 'gradual' is a close relative, sharing the idea of moving step by step.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗Definitions give each word’s most common meaning — the full entries live at Wiktionary.