run

run ► VERB (running; past ran; past part. run) 1) move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all feet on the ground at the same time. 2) move about in a hurried and hectic way. 3) pass or cause to pass: Helen ran her fingers through her hair. 4) move forcefully: the tanker ran aground. 5) (of a bus, train, etc.) make a regular journey on a particular route. 6) be in charge of; manage or organize. 7) continue, operate, or proceed. 8) function or cause to function. 9) pass into or reach a specified state or level: inflation is running at 11 per cent. 10) (run in) (of a quality or trait) be common or inherent in. 11) (of a liquid) flow. 12) emit or exude a liquid. 13) (of dye or colour) dissolve and spread when wet. 14) stand as a candidate. 15) enter or be entered in a race. 16) publish or be published in a newspaper or magazine. 17) transport in a car. 18) smuggle (goods). 19) chiefly N. Amer. (of a stocking or pair of tights) develop a ladder.

► NOUN 1) an act or spell of running. 2) a running pace. 3) a journey or route. 4) a short excursion made in a car. 5) a course or track made or regularly used: a ski run. 6) a length, spell, or stretch of something: a run of bad luck. 7) an enclosed area in which animals or birds may run freely in the open. 8) Austral./NZ a large open stretch of land used for pasture or livestock. 9) a rapid series of musical notes. 10) a sequence of cards of the same suit. 11) (the run) the average or usual type. 12) (the run of) free and unrestricted use of or access to somewhere. 13) Cricket a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets. 14) Baseball a point scored by the batter returning to the home plate after touching the bases. 15) a ladder in stockings or tights. 16) (the runs) informal diarrhoea.

● be run off one's feet — Cf. ↑be run off one's feet

● a (good) run for one's money — Cf. ↑a run for one's money

● on the run — Cf. ↑on the run

● run across — Cf. ↑run across

● run after — Cf. ↑run after

● run along — Cf. ↑run along

● run away — Cf. ↑run away

● run away with — Cf. ↑run away with

● run before one can walk — Cf. ↑run before one can walk

● run by (or past) — Cf. ↑run past

● run down — Cf. ↑run down

● run in — Cf. ↑run in

● run into — Cf. ↑run into

● run off — Cf. ↑run off

● run on — Cf. ↑run on

● run out — Cf. ↑run out

● run over — Cf. ↑run over

● run through — Cf. ↑run through

● run to — Cf. ↑run to

● run up — Cf. ↑run up

● run up against — Cf. ↑run up against

● you can't run with the hares and hunt with the hounds — Cf. ↑you can't run with the hares and hunt with the hounds

DERIVATIVES runnable adjective.

ORIGIN Old English.