English Dictionary

Definition of “run”

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run (rʌnPronunciation for run) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: runs, running, ran, run
  1. (intr)
    1. (of a two-legged creature) to move on foot at a rapid pace so that both feet are off the ground together for part of each stride
    2. (of a four-legged creature) to move at a rapid gait; gallop or canter
  2. (tr) to pass over (a distance, route, etc) in running  ⇒ to run a mile run a race 
  3. (intr) to run in or finish a race as specified, esp in a particular position  ⇒ John is running third 
  4. (tr) to perform or accomplish by or as if by running  ⇒ to run an errand 
  5. (intr) to flee; run away  ⇒ they took to their heels and ran 
  6. (tr) to bring into a specified state or condition by running  ⇒ to run oneself to a standstill 
  7. (tr) to track down or hunt (an animal)  ⇒ to run a fox to earth 
  8. (intr) to move about freely and without restraint  ⇒ the children are running in the garden 
  9. (intr) to to go or have recourse, as for aid, assistance, etc  ⇒ he's always running to his mother when he's in trouble 
  10. (tr) to set (animals) loose on (a field or tract of land) so as to graze freely
  11. (intr; often foll by over, round or up) to make a short trip or brief informal visit  ⇒ I'll run over to your house this afternoon 
  12. to move quickly and easily on wheels by rolling, or in any of certain other ways  ⇒ a ball running along the ground a sledge running over snow 
  13. to move or cause to move with a specified result or in a specified manner  ⇒ to run a ship aground to run into a tree 
  14. (often foll by over) to move or pass or cause to move or pass quickly  ⇒ to run a vacuum cleaner over the carpet to run one's eyes over a page 
  15. (tr; foll by into, out of, through, etc) to force, thrust, or drive  ⇒ she ran a needle into her finger 
  16. (tr) to drive or maintain and operate (a vehicle)
  17. (tr) to give a lift to (someone) in a vehicle; transport  ⇒ he ran her to the railway station 
  18. to ply or cause to ply between places on a route  ⇒ the bus runs from Piccadilly to Golders Green 
  19. to operate or be operated; function or cause to function  ⇒ the engine is running smoothly 
  20. (tr) to perform or carry out  ⇒ to run tests 
  21. (tr) to be in charge of; manage  ⇒ to run a company 
  22. to extend or continue or cause to extend or continue in a particular direction, for a particular duration or distance, etc  ⇒ the road runs north the play ran for two years the months ran into years 
  23. (intr) law 
    1. to have legal force or effect  ⇒ the lease runs for two more years 
    2. to accompany; be an integral part of or adjunct to  ⇒ an easement runs with the land 
  24. (tr) to be subjected to, be affected by, or incur  ⇒ to run a risk run a temperature 
  25. (intr) to to be characterized (by); tend or incline  ⇒ her taste runs to extravagant hats to run to fat 
  26. (intr) to recur persistently or be inherent  ⇒ red hair runs in my family 
  27. to cause or allow (liquids) to flow or (of liquids) to flow, esp in a manner specified  ⇒ water ran from the broken pipe the well has run dry 
  28. (intr) to melt and flow  ⇒ the wax grew hot and began to run 
  29. metallurgy 
    1. to melt or fuse
    2. (tr) to mould or cast (molten metal)  ⇒ to run lead into ingots 
  30. (intr) (of waves, tides, rivers, etc) to rise high, surge, or be at a specified height  ⇒ a high sea was running that night 
  31. (intr) to be diffused  ⇒ the colours in my dress ran when I washed it 
  32. (intr) (of stitches) to unravel or come undone or (of a garment) to have stitches unravel or come undone  ⇒ if you pull that thread the whole seam will run 
  33. to sew (an article) with continuous stitches
  34. (intr) (of growing vines, creepers, etc) to trail, spread, or climb  ⇒ ivy running over a cottage wall 
  35. (intr) to spread or circulate quickly  ⇒ a rumour ran through the town 
  36. (intr) to be stated or reported  ⇒ his story runs as follows 
  37. to publish or print or be published or printed in a newspaper, magazine, etc  ⇒ they ran his story in the next issue 
  38. (often foll by for) mainly US Canadian to be a candidate or present as a candidate for political or other office  ⇒ Anderson is running for president 
  39. (tr) to get past or through; evade  ⇒ to run a blockade 
  40. (tr) to deal in (arms, etc), esp by importing illegally  ⇒ he runs guns for the rebels 
  41. nautical to sail (a vessel, esp a sailing vessel) or (of such a vessel) to be sailed with the wind coming from astern
  42. (intr)  (of fish) 
    1. to migrate upstream from the sea, esp in order to spawn
    2. to swim rapidly in any area of water, esp during migration
  43. (tr) cricket to score (a run or number of runs) by hitting the ball and running between the wickets
  44. (tr) billiards snooker to make (a number of successful shots) in sequence
  45. (tr) golf to hit (the ball) so that it rolls along the ground
  46. (tr) bridge to cash (all one's winning cards in a long suit) successively
  47. See run a bath
  48. See run close
  49. See run for it
  50. See be run off one's feet

noun

  1. an act, instance, or period of running
  2. a gait, pace, or motion faster than a walk  ⇒ she went off at a run 
  3. a distance covered by running or a period of running  ⇒ a run of ten miles 
  4. an act, instance, or period of travelling in a vehicle, esp for pleasure  ⇒ to go for a run in the car 
  5. free and unrestricted access  ⇒ we had the run of the house and garden for the whole summer 
    1. a period of time during which a machine, computer, etc, operates
    2. the amount of work performed in such a period
  7. a continuous or sustained period  ⇒ a run of good luck 
  8. a continuous sequence of performances  ⇒ the play had a good run 
  9. cards a sequence of winning cards in one suit, usually more than five  ⇒ a run of spades 
  10. tendency or trend  ⇒ the run of the market 
  11. type, class, or category  ⇒ the usual run of graduates 
  12. (usually foll by on) a continuous and urgent demand  ⇒ a run on butter a run on the dollar 
  13. a series of unravelled stitches, esp in stockings or tights; ladder
  14. the characteristic pattern or direction of something  ⇒ the run of the grain on a piece of wood 
    1. a continuous vein or seam of ore, coal, etc
    2. the direction in which it lies
    1. a period during which water or other liquid flows
    2. the amount of such a flow
  17. a pipe, channel, etc, through which water or other liquid flows
  18. US a small stream
  19. a steeply inclined pathway or course, esp a snow-covered one used for skiing and bobsleigh racing See also green run , blue run , red run , black run
  20. an enclosure for domestic fowls or other animals, in which they have free movement  ⇒ a chicken run 
  21. (esp in Australia and New Zealand) a tract of land for grazing livestock
  22. a track or area frequented by animals  ⇒ a deer run a rabbit run 
  23. a group of animals of the same species moving together
  24. the migration of fish upstream in order to spawn
  25. nautical 
    1. the tack of a sailing vessel in which the wind comes from astern
    2. part of the hull of a vessel near the stern where it curves upwards and inwards
  26. military 
    1. a mission in a warplane
    2. short for bombing run
  27. the movement of an aircraft along the ground during takeoff or landing
  28. music a rapid scalelike passage of notes
  29. cricket a score of one, normally achieved by both batsmen running from one end of the wicket to the other after one of them has hit the ball Compare extra (sense 6) , boundary (sense 2c)
  30. baseball an instance of a batter touching all four bases safely, thereby scoring
  31. golf the distance that a ball rolls after hitting the ground
  32. See a run for one's money
  33. See in the long run
  34. See in the short run
  35. See on the run
  36. See the runs

See also

runabout , run across , run after , run along , run around , run away , run down , run in , run into , run off , run on , run out , run over , run through , run to , run up , run with

Word Origin

Old English runnen , past participle of (ge )rinnan ; related to Old Frisian, Old Norse rinna , Old Saxon, Gothic, Old High German rinnan

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= race, speed, rush, dash, hurry, career, barrel (along) sprint, scramble, bolt, dart, gallop, hare, jog, scud, hasten, scurry, stampede, scamper, leg it, lope, hie, hotfoot,
= flee, escape, take off, depart, bolt, clear out, beat it, leg it, make off, abscond, decamp, take flight, do a runner, scarper, slope off, cut and run, make a run for it fly the coop, beat a retreat, show a clean pair of heels, skedaddle, take a powder, take it on the lam take to your heels
= take part be in compete, participate, enter,
= continue, go, stretch, last, reach, lie, range, extend, proceed,
= compete, stand, contend, be a candidate put yourself up for take part challenge, re-offer,
= manage, lead, direct, be in charge of own, head, control, boss, operate, handle, conduct, look after, carry on, regulate, take care of, administer, oversee, supervise, mastermind, coordinate, superintend,
= go, work, operate, perform, function, be in business be in action tick over,
= perform, do, carry out, execute,
= work, go, operate, function,
= drive, own, keep, maintain, possess,
= operate, go, travel, shuttle,
= give a lift to drive, carry, transport, convey, bear, manoeuvre, propel,
= pass, go, move, roll, slide, glide, skim,
= flow, pour, stream, cascade, go, move, issue, proceed, leak, spill, discharge, gush, spout, course,
= spread, mix, bleed, be diffused lose colour
= circulate, spread, creep, go round,
= publish, carry, feature, display, print,
= be staged be on be presented be produced be put on be performed be mounted
= be valid be in force be legally binding
= melt, dissolve, liquefy, go soft turn to liquid
= unravel, tear, ladder, come apart, come undone
= smuggle, deal in, traffic in bootleg, ship, sneak,
= chase, drive, hunt, hound,
= race, rush, dash, sprint, trot, gallop, jog, spurt,
= ride, drive, trip, lift, journey, spin, outing, excursion, jaunt, joy ride awayday,
= round, route, journey, circuit, course,
= sequence, period, stretch, spell, course, season, round, series, chain, cycle, string, passage, streak,
= free use unrestricted access to a free hand in unrestricted use of
= type, sort, kind, class, variety, category, order,
= tear, rip, ladder, snag,
= enclosure, pen, coop,
= direction, way, course, current, movement, progress, flow, path, trend, motion, passage, stream, tendency, drift, tide, tenor,
= slope, track, piste,
= sudden demand for pressure for clamour for rush for

Quotations

  • "He who fights and runs awayMay live to fight another day" Oliver Goldsmith

Translations

  • British English: run Pronunciation for run A run is a journey you make by running.After a six-mile run, she returns home for breakfast.rʌn NOUN After a six-mile run, she returns home for breakfast.
  • Spanish: carrera Pronunciation for carrera nf
  • French: course Pronunciation for course nf
  • German: Lauf Pronunciation for Lauf nm Läufe
  • Chinese: 跑Pronunciation for 跑 n
  • Arabic: عَدْوPronunciation for عَدْو n
  • Portuguese: corridaPronunciation for corrida nf
  • Russian: бегPronunciation for бег nm
  • Croatian: trčanjePronunciation for trčanje nnt
  • Czech: běhPronunciation for běh nm
  • Danish: løbPronunciation for løb nnt
  • Dutch: looppasPronunciation for looppas nm
  • Finnish: juoksuPronunciation for juoksu n
  • Greek: τρέξιμοPronunciation for τρέξιμο nnt
  • Italian: corsaPronunciation for corsa nf
  • Japanese: 走ることPronunciation for 走ること n
  • Korean: 뛰기Pronunciation for 뛰기 n
  • Norwegian: løpPronunciation for løp nnt
  • Polish: biegPronunciation for bieg nm
  • Brazilian Portuguese: corridaPronunciation for corrida nf
  • European Spanish: carrera Pronunciation for carrera nf
  • Swedish: springturPronunciation for springtur nutr
  • Thai: การวิ่งPronunciation for การวิ่ง n
  • Turkish: koşuPronunciation for koşu n
  • Vietnamese: sự chạyPronunciation for sự chạy n
  • British English: run Pronunciation for run You say that something long, such as a road, runs in a particular direction when you are describing its course or position.The path runs through the woods.rʌn VERB The path runs through the woods.
  • Spanish: hacer funcionarPronunciation for hacer funcionar v
  • French: aller Pronunciation for aller vi
  • German: laufen Pronunciation for laufen vt
  • Chinese: 跑Pronunciation for 跑 vt
  • Arabic: يَرْكُضُPronunciation for يَرْكُضُ vt
  • Portuguese: dirigirPronunciation for dirigir vt
  • Russian: преодолевать (расстояние) бегомPronunciation for преодолевать (расстояние) бегом v
  • Croatian: trčatiPronunciation for trčati v
  • Czech: říditPronunciation for řídit vt
  • Danish: kørePronunciation for køre v
  • Dutch: runnenPronunciation for runnen vt
  • Finnish: juostaPronunciation for juosta vt
  • Greek: διαχειρίζομαιPronunciation for διαχειρίζομαι vt
  • Italian: dirigerePronunciation for dirigere vt
  • Japanese: 走るPronunciation for 走る v
  • Korean: (길거리 등을) 달리다Pronunciation for (길거리 등을) 달리다 vt
  • Norwegian: løpePronunciation for løpe vt
  • Polish: biecPronunciation for biec vt begać
  • Brazilian Portuguese: dirigirPronunciation for dirigir vt
  • European Spanish: correr Pronunciation for correr v
  • Swedish: springaPronunciation for springa vt
  • Thai: วิ่งแข่ง รีบไป เคลื่อนไปอย่างรวดเร็วPronunciation for วิ่งแข่ง รีบไป เคลื่อนไปอย่างรวดเร็ว vt
  • Turkish: koşmakPronunciation for koşmak vt
  • Vietnamese: điều hànhPronunciation for điều hành v
  • British English: run Pronunciation for run When you run, you move very quickly on your legs.It's very dangerous to run across the road.rʌn VERB It's very dangerous to run across the road.
  • Spanish: correr Pronunciation for correr v
  • French: courir Pronunciation for courir vi
  • German: laufen Pronunciation for laufen vi
  • Chinese: 跑Pronunciation for 跑 vi
  • Arabic: يَجْريPronunciation for يَجْري vi
  • Portuguese: correrPronunciation for correr vi
  • Russian: бегатьPronunciation for бегать vi
  • Croatian: tjeratiPronunciation for tjerati v
  • Czech: běhatPronunciation for běhat vi
  • Danish: løbePronunciation for løbe v
  • Dutch: rennenPronunciation for rennen vi
  • Finnish: juostaPronunciation for juosta vi
  • Greek: τρέχωPronunciation for τρέχω vi
  • Italian: correrePronunciation for correre vi
  • Japanese: 走るPronunciation for 走る v
  • Korean: 달리다Pronunciation for 달리다 vi
  • Norwegian: løpePronunciation for løpe vi
  • Polish: biegaćPronunciation for biegać vi
  • Brazilian Portuguese: correrPronunciation for correr vi
  • European Spanish: correr Pronunciation for correr v
  • Swedish: springaPronunciation for springa vi
  • Thai: วิ่ง วิ่งหนี เปิดเครื่อง เดินเครื่องPronunciation for วิ่ง วิ่งหนี เปิดเครื่อง เดินเครื่อง vi
  • Turkish: koşturmakPronunciation for koşturmak vi
  • Vietnamese: chạyPronunciation for chạy vi

Usage examples

  • The recent run of mild winters is likely to lead to generations of stoats that stay brown all year.
    Country Life (2004)
  • The London-based fund manager estimates that the two-year run up to the Olympics in Salt Lake cost him about E40,000 of his own money.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Last year a run of three wins in six races saw him spearheading McLaren's challenge to Schumacher.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Onions made healthy people's eyes water and noses run , so Hahnemann found onions good for the common cold.
    Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'R'

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