rʌn v. & n. --v. (running;
past ran; past
part. run) 1 intr. go
with quick steps on
alternate feet,
never having
both or
all feet on
the ground at the
same time. 2 intr.
flee,
abscond. 3 intr. go or
travel hurriedly, briefly, etc. 4 intr. a
advance by or as by rolling or on wheels, or smoothly or
easily. b be in
action or
operation (left the
engine running). 5 intr. be
current or
operative;
have duration (the
lease runs
for 99 years). 6 intr. (of a
bus,
train, etc.) travel or be travelling on
its route (the train is
running late). 7 intr. (of a
play,
exhibition, etc.) be staged or presented (is
now running at the Apollo). 8 intr.
extend; have a
course or
order or
tendency (the road runs by the
coast; prices are running high). 9 a intr.
compete in a race. b intr.
finish a race in a specified
position. c tr. compete in (a race). 10 intr. (often foll. by for)
seek election (ran for president). 11 a intr. (of a
liquid etc. or its container)
flow or be
wet;
drip. b tr. flow with. 12 tr. a
cause (water etc.) to flow. b
fill (a bath) with
water. 13 intr.
spread rapidly or
beyond the
proper place (ink ran
over the
table; a shiver ran down my spine). 14 intr. Cricket (of a batsman) run
from one wicket to the
other in scoring a run. 15 tr.
traverse or
make one's
way through or over (a course, race, or distance). 16 tr.
perform (an errand). 17 tr.
publish (an
article etc.) in a
newspaper or
magazine. 18 a tr. cause (a
machine or
vehicle etc.) to
operate. b intr. (of a
mechanism or
component etc.)
move or
work freely. 19 tr.
direct or
manage (a
business etc.). 20 tr.
own and use (a vehicle) regularly. 21 tr.
take (a person) for a
journey in a vehicle (shall I run
you to the shops?). 22 tr. cause to run or go in a specified way (ran the
car into a tree). 23 tr.
enter (a
horse etc.) for a race. 24 tr.
smuggle (guns etc.). 25 tr. chase or
hunt. 26 tr.
allow (an account) to
accumulate for a time
before paying. 27 intr. Naut. (of a
ship etc.) go
straight and fast. 28 intr. (of salmon) go up
river from the
sea. 29 intr. (of a
colour in a fabric) spread from the dyed parts. 30 a intr. (of a thought, the
eye, the
memory, etc.) pass in a
transitory or
cursory way (ideas ran through my mind). b tr. cause (one's eye) to
look cursorily (ran my eye down the page). 31 intr. (of hosiery)
ladder. 32 intr. (of a candle)
gutter. 33 intr. (of an
orifice,
esp. the eyes or nose)
exude liquid
matter. 34 tr.
sew (fabric) loosely or hastily with running stitches. 35 tr.
turn (cattle etc.)
out to
graze. --n. 1 an
act or spell of running. 2 a
short trip or
excursion, esp. for
pleasure. 3 a
distance travelled. 4 a
general tendency of
development or
movement. 5 a
rapid motion. 6 a
regular route. 7 a
continuous or long
stretch or spell or course (a metre's run of
wiring;
had a run of
bad luck). 8 (often foll. by on) a a
high general
demand (for a
commodity,
currency, etc.) (a run on the dollar). b a
sudden demand for repayment by a
large number of customers of (a bank). 9 a
quantity produced in one
period of
production (a
print run). 10 a general or
average type or
class (not
typical of the general run). 11 a Cricket a
point scored by the batsmen
each running to the other's wicket, or an
equivalent point awarded for
some other
reason. b
Baseball a point scored usu. by the batter returning to the
plate after touching the other
bases. 12 (foll. by of)
free use of or
access to (had the run of the house). 13 a an animal's regular track. b an
enclosure for fowls. c a
range of
pasture. 14 a ladder in
hosiery. 15 Mus. a rapid scale passage. 16 a class or line of goods. 17 a
batch or drove of animals
born or reared
together. 18 a shoal of fish in motion. 19 a
trough for water to run
in. 20 US a
small stream or brook. 21 a a
single journey, esp. by an
aircraft. b (of an aircraft) a flight on a straight and even course at a
constant speed before or
while dropping bombs. c an
offensive military operation. øat a (or the) run running. on the run 1 escaping, running
away. 2 hurrying
about from place to place. run about 1 bustle;
hurry from one
person or place to
another. 2 (esp. of children) play or
wander without restraint. run
across 1
happen to meet. 2 (foll. by to) make a
brief journey or a
flying visit (to a place). run after 1
pursue with attentions; seek the
society of. 2
give much time to (a
pursuit etc.). 3 pursue at a run. run
against happen to meet. run
along colloq.
depart. run
around 1
Brit. take from place to place by car etc. 2
deceive or
evade repeatedly. 3 (often foll. by with) sl.
engage in
sexual relations (esp. casually or illicitly). run-around n. (esp. in phr. give a person the run-around)
deceit or
evasion. run at
attack by charging or rushing. run away 1
get away by running; flee, abscond. 2
elope. 3 (of a horse) bolt. run away with 1
carry off (a person,
stolen property, etc.). 2
win (a prize) easily. 3
accept (a notion) hastily. 4 (of
expense etc.)
consume (money etc.). 5 (of a horse) bolt with (a
rider, a
carriage or its occupants). run a
blockade see BLOCKADE. run down 1
knock down or
collide with. 2
reduce the
strength or numbers of (resources). 3 (of an unwound clock etc.)
stop. 4 (of a person or a person's health)
become feeble from
overwork or underfeeding. 5
discover after a
search. 6
disparage. run-down n. 1 a
reduction in numbers. 2 a detailed
analysis. --adj. 1 decayed after
prosperity. 2 enfeebled through overwork etc. run
dry cease to flow, be exhausted. run for it seek
safety by fleeing. a run (or a
good run) for one's
money 1
vigorous competition. 2 pleasure derived from an
activity. run
foul of collide or become entangled with (another
vessel etc.). run the gauntlet see
GAUNTLET(2). run a person
hard (or close) press a person severely in a race or competition, or in
comparative merit. run high 1 (of the sea) have a
strong current with a high
tide. 2 (of feelings) be strong. run in 1 run (a
new engine or vehicle) carefully in the
early stages. 2 colloq.
arrest. 3 (of a combatant) rush to close quarters. 4
incur (a debt). run-in n. 1 the
approach to an action or
event. 2 a quarrel. run in the
family (of a trait) be
common in the members of a family. run into 1 collide with. 2
encounter. 3
reach as
many as (a specified figure). 4
fall into (a
practice,
absurdity, etc.). 5 be continuous or
coalesce with. run into the ground colloq.
bring (a person) to
exhaustion etc. run it fine see
FINE(1). run its course
follow its
natural progress; be left to
itself. run low (or short) become depleted, have
too little (our
tea ran short; we ran short of tea). run off 1 flee. 2
produce (copies etc.) on a machine. 3
decide (a race or other contest) after a
series of heats or in the event of a
tie. 4 flow or cause to flow away. 5
write or
recite fluently. 6
digress suddenly. run-off n. 1 an
additional competition, election, race,
etc., after a tie. 2 an
amount of
rainfall that is carried off an
area by streams and rivers. 3 NZ a
separate area of
land where young animals etc. are
kept. run off one's feet
very busy. run-of-the-mill
ordinary,
undistinguished. run on 1 (of
written characters) be joined together. 2
continue in operation. 3
elapse. 4
speak volubly. 5
talk incessantly. 6
Printing continue on the same line as the preceding matter. run out 1
come to an
end; become used
up. 2 (foll. by of)
exhaust one's
stock of. 3 put down the wicket of (a
batsman who is running). 4
escape from a containing vessel. 5 (of rope) pass out; be
paid out. 6
jut out. 7 come out of a
contest in a specified position etc. or
complete a required
score etc. (they ran out
worthy winners). 8 complete (a race). 9 advance (a
gun etc.) so as to
project. 10 exhaust
oneself by running. run-out n. the dismissal of a batsman by
being run out. run out on colloq. desert (a person). run over 1
overflow. 2
study or
repeat quickly. 3 (of a vehicle or its driver) pass over, knock down or
crush. 4
touch (the notes of a piano etc.) in quick
succession. 5 (often foll. by to) go quickly by a brief journey or for a flying visit. run
ragged exhaust (a person). run rings
round see
RING(1). run
riot see RIOT. run a (or the)
risk see RISK. run the
show colloq.
dominate in an
undertaking etc. run a
temperature be
feverish. run through 1
examine or
rehearse briefly. 2
peruse. 3 deal successively with. 4 consume (an
estate etc.) by
reckless or quick spending. 5 traverse. 6
pervade. 7
pierce with a
sword etc. 8
draw a line through (written words). run-through n. 1 a
rehearsal. 2 a brief
survey. run to 1 have the money or
ability for. 2 reach (an amount or number). 3 (of a person) show a tendency to (runs to fat). 4 a be
enough for (some expense or undertaking). b have the resources or
capacity for. 5 fall into (ruin). run to
earth 1
Hunting chase to its lair. 2 discover after a long search. run to meet
anticipate (one's troubles etc.). run to
seed see SEED. run up 1 accumulate (a
debt etc.) quickly. 2
build or make hurriedly. 3
raise (a flag). 4
grow quickly. 5
rise in
price. 6 (foll. by to) amount
to. 7 force (a
rival bidder) to
bid higher. 8
add up (a
column of figures). 9 (foll. by to) go quickly by a brief journey or for a flying visit. run-up n. 1 (often foll. by to) the period preceding an
important event. 2
Golf a low approach shot. run up against meet with (a
difficulty or difficulties). run
upon (of a person's thoughts etc.) be engrossed
by;
dwell upon. run
wild grow or
stray unchecked or
undisciplined or
untrained. øørunnable adj. [OE rinnan]