rung

1 the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement the greasy spoon restaurant was several rungs below the kind of establishment in which we usually dined Synonyms degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, ranking, reach(es), rank, situation, standing, station, status, stratumRelated Words condition, estate, order, walk; capacity, function; rating

2 Scottish  a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment the watchman usually carried a stout oak rung Synonyms bastinado (or bastinade), bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, cudgel, nightstick, rod, club [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon, waddy [Australian]Related Words blackjack, knobkerrie, mace; birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch; beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer; crook, crosier (or crozier), walking stick, whangee