Run Definition

run

English

Etymology

From Middle English ronnen (“to run”), alteration of Middle English rinnen (“to run”). This perhaps continues the uncommon Old English byform rinnan (“to run”) but probably reflects more influence from Old Norse rinnen (“to run”) (in Old English metathesised variants like irnan predominated). In any case from Proto-Germanic *rinnanan (“to run”) and *rannijanan (“to make run”) from Proto-Indo-European *ren- (“to rise; to sink”). Cognate with German rinnen (“to run”), Swedish rinna (“to run”), Danish rinde (“to run”), and Dutch rennen (“to run”)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɹʌn/, SAMPA: /r\Vn/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio

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Noun

run (plural runs)

1. The act of running.

   I just got back from my run.

2. The route taken while running or skiing.

   Which run did you do today?

3. A flow of liquid; a leak.

   The constant run of water from the faucet annoys me.

4. (US) A small creek or part thereof.
5. The amount of something made.

   The book’s initial press run will be 5,000 copies.

6. The length of a showing of a play, film, tv series or season or themes/genres of such.

   The run of the show lasted two weeks, and we sold out every night.

   It is the last week of our French cinema run.

7. The top of a step on a staircase, also called a tread, as opposed to the rise.
8. The horizontal length of a set of stairs
9. A production quantity in a factory.

   Yesterday we did a run of 12,000 units.

10. A pace faster than a walk.

    He broke into a run.

11. (of horses) A fast gallop.
12. An interval of distance or time, a period marked by a continuing trend.

    He went to Las Vegas and spent all his money over a three-day run.

    I’m having a run of bad luck.

    • 2011 June 28, Piers Newbery, “Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli”, BBC Sport:

      German wildcard Sabine Lisicki conquered her nerves to defeat France's Marion Bartoli and take her amazing Wimbledon run into the semi-finals.

13. A series of tries in a game that were successful.
14. A trial of an experiment.

    The data got lost, so I'll have to perform another run of the experiment.

15. A regular trip or route.

    The bus on the Cherry Street run is always crowded.

16. A standard or unexceptional group or category.

    He stood out from the usual run of applicants.

17. An enclosure for an animal; a track or path along which something can travel.

    He set up a rabbit run.

18. An errand or the journey associated with an errand.

    I need to make a run to the store.

19. A pleasure trip.

    Let's go for a run in the car.

20. (skiing, bobsledding) A single trip down a hill, as in skiing and bobsledding.
21. (baseball, cricket) A point scored in baseball and cricket.
22. (music) A rapid passage in music, especially along a scale.
23. A sequence of cards in a suit in a card game.
24. A sudden series of demands on a bank or other financial institution, especially characterised by great withdrawals.

    Financial insecurity led to a run on the banks, as customers feared for the security of their savings.

25. Any sudden large demand for something.

    There was a run on Christmas presents.

26. Unrestricted use of an area.

    He can have the run of the house.

27. A line of knit stitches that have unravelled, particularly in a nylon stocking.

    I have a run in my stocking.

28. (nautical) The stern of the underwater body of a ship from where it begins to curve upward and inward.
29. (construction) horizontal dimension of a slope.

Synonyms

• (horizontal part of a step): tread
• (unravelling): ladder (British)
• See also Wikisaurus:walk

Antonyms

• (horizontal part of a step): rise, riser
• (horizontal distance of a set of stairs): rise

See also

• (computer science): trajectory

Adjective

run (not comparable)

1. In a liquid state; melted; molten.

   Put some run butter on the vegetables.

2. Exhausted; depleted (especially with "down" or "out".)

Verb

run (third-person singular simple present runs, present participle running, simple past ran, past participle run)

1. (intransitive) To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately making a short jump off of either foot, compare: walk.

   Run, Sarah, run!

2. (intransitive) To go at a fast pace, to move quickly.

   The horse ran the length of the track.

   I have been running all over the building looking for him.

   Sorry, I've got to run; my house is on fire.

3. (intransitive, figuratively) To move or spread quickly.

   There's a strange story running around the neighborhood.

   The flu is running through my daughter's kindergarten.

4. (transitive) To cause to move quickly; to make move lightly.

   Every day I run my dog across the field and back.

   I'll just run the vacuum cleaner over the carpet.

   Run your fingers through my hair.

   Can you run these data through the program for me and tell me whether it gives an error?

5. (transitive) To control or manage, be in charge of.

   My uncle ran a corner store for forty years.

   She runs the fundraising.

   My parents think they run my life.

6. (intransitive) Of a liquid, to flow.

   The river runs through the forest.

   There's blood running down your leg.

7. (intransitive) Of an object, to have a liquid flowing from it.

   Your nose is running.

   Why is the hose still running?

   My cup runneth over.

8. (transitive) To make a liquid flow; to make liquid flow from an object.

   You'll have to run the water a while before it gets hot.

   Run the tap until the water gets hot.

9. (intransitive) To extend in space or through a range (often with a measure phrase).

   The border runs for 3000 miles.

   The leash runs along a wire.

   The grain of the wood runs to the right on this table.

   It ran in quality from excellent to substandard.

10. (intransitive) To extend in time, to last, to continue (usually with a measure phrase).

    The sale will run for ten days.

    The contract runs through 2008.

    The meeting ran late.

    The book runs 655 pages.

    The speech runs as follows:...

11. (transitive) To make something extend in space.

    I need to run this wire along the wall.

12. (intransitive) Of a machine, including computer programs, to be operating or working normally.

    My car stopped running.

    That computer runs twenty-four hours a day.

    Buses don't run here on Sunday.

13. (transitive) To make a machine operate.

    It's full. You can run the dishwasher now.

    Don't run the engine so fast.

14. (transitive) To execute or carry out a plan, procedure, or program.

    They ran twenty blood tests on me and they still don't know what's wrong.

    Our coach had us running plays for the whole practice.

    I will run the sample.

    Don't run that software unless you have permission.

    My computer is too old to run the new OS.

15. (transitive or intransitive) To compete in a race.

    The horse will run the Preakness next year.

    I'm not ready to run a marathon.

16. (intransitive) To be a candidate in an election.

    I have decided to run for governor of California.

    We're trying to find somebody to run against him next year.

17. (transitive) To make run in a race or an election.

    He ran his best horse in the Derby.

    The Green Party is running twenty candidates in this election.

18. (intransitive) To be presented in one of the media.

    The story will run on the 6-o'clock news.

    The latest Robin Williams movie is running at the Silver City theatre.

    Her picture ran on the front page of the newspaper.

19. (transitive) To print or broadcast in the media.

    run a story

    run an ad

20. (intransitive) To leak or spread in an undesirable fashion , to bleed (especially used of dye or paint).

    He discovered during washing that the red rug ran on his white sheet, staining it pink.

21. copulative To become different in a way mentioned (usually to become worse).

    Our supplies are running low.

    • 1968, Paul Simon, Boxer

      I was no more than a boy / In the company of strangers / In the quiet of the railway station / Running scared.

22. (transitive) To go through without stopping, usually illegally.

    run a red light or stop sign

    run a blockade

23. (transitive) To transport someone or something.

    Could you run me over to the store?

    Please run this report upstairs to director's office.

24. (transitive) To smuggle illegal goods.

    run guns

    run rum

25. (transitive) To cost a large amount of money.

    Buying a new laptop will run you a thousand dollars.

    Laptops run about a thousand dollars apiece.

26. (intransitive) Of fish, to migrate for spawning.
27. (intransitive, soccer) To carry a football down the field.
28. (intransitive) Of stitches, to unravel.

    My stocking is running.

29. (intransitive) To flee away from a danger or towards help.

    Whenever things get tough, she cuts and runs.

    When he's broke, he runs to me for money.

30. (transitive, agriculture) To sort through a large volume of produce in quality control.

    Looks like we're gonna have to run the tomatoes again.

31. (intransitive) To control or have precedence in a card game.

    Every three or four hands he would run the table.

32. (juggling, colloquial, transitive) To juggle a pattern continuously, as opposed to starting and stopping quickly.

Synonyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. Use the template {{|"gloss"}}, substituting a short version of the definition for "gloss".

• go
• pass
• lead
• extend
• hunt
• hunt down
• track down
• travel
• speed
• hurry

Derived terms

Related terms

• gallop
• move
• walk

Translations

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: daughter · makes · laws · #539: run · position · copy · opened

Anagrams

• URN, urn

Dutch

Verb

run

1. first-person singular present indicative of runnen.
2. imperative of runnen.

Mandarin

Pinyin syllable

run

1. Nonstandard spelling of rún.
2. Nonstandard spelling of rùn.

Usage notes

English transcriptions of Chinese speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Chinese language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Old English

Etymology

From the Germanic root *rūnō. Cognate with the Old Saxon rūna, Old High German rūna (German Raun), Old Norse rún, and Gothic 𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌰 (rūna).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ruːn/

Noun

rūn f. (nominative plural rūna or rūne)

1. mystery, secret

   rune healdan (to keep one's counsel)

2. advice, counsel
3. writing; a rune

Descendants

• English: rune

See also

• dyrne a

Polish

Noun

run

1. Genitive plural of runo.

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