# run

Pronunciation: say "RUN" /ɹʌn/

## Verb

1. To move quickly on foot, faster than walking, as people and many animals do; also, to cover a distance or take part in a race in this way.
   - Simple: To move fast on your legs, faster than walking, or to do this in a race.
   - _My knees hurt whenever I run, so I've switched to swimming._
   - _The children ran barefoot across the wet grass, laughing and shouting._
2. To manage, control or be in charge of something.
   - Simple: To be in charge of a business, event, or activity.
   - _Who is going to run the meeting?_
   - _They run a small hotel by the lake._
3. Of a machine, engine or computer program, to operate or work; also, to make one operate.
   - Simple: To work, or to make a machine or computer program work.
   - _The generator will run all night on one tank._
   - _The app runs on any phone made after 2020._
4. To extend in space or across a range, often with a measure.
   - Simple: To stretch or reach over a distance.
   - _The pipes run under the floor._
   - _The road ran straight for twenty miles._
5. To stand as a candidate in an election.
   - Simple: To try to win an election for a job or position.
   - _He ran for mayor twice and lost both times._
   - _Senator, will you run again?_
6. To continue for a given period or until a given point; to last, usually followed by a measure of time.
   - Simple: To last or go on for a certain time.
   - _The exhibition runs until March._
   - _The series will run for six seasons._
7. To carry out the steps of a test, procedure, or plan.
   - Simple: To carry out a test or a plan.
   - _Run the numbers again before we decide._
   - _The lab runs the same test every morning._
8. To go fast or hurry, whether on foot or not.
   - Simple: To move or go quickly, not always on foot.
   - _I'll run down to the shop before it closes._
   - _She jumped in the car and ran across town to pick up her sick son._
10. To flee from danger, or to hurry toward help.
   - Simple: To run away from danger, or to someone for help.
   - _Don't run from your problems._
   - _The child ran to her mother in tears._
13. Of a bus, train, boat or other means of transportation, to travel a route or make its trips between places.
   - Simple: Of a bus, train, plane or boat, to travel along a route between places.
   - _Night trains run between the two capitals three times a week._
   - _Until the bridge opened, a small ferry ran the crossing between the two towns._
23. Of a liquid, to flow; of a tap, a nose or the eyes, to have liquid flowing from it.
   - Simple: To flow, like water, or to have liquid coming out, like a tap or a nose.
   - _Let the water run until it's cold._
   - _Tears ran down her face._
15. To come to be in a certain state, usually a worse one.
   - Simple: To become a certain way, usually worse.
   - _Tempers began to run high at the meeting._
   - _The batteries will run flat if you leave the lights on._
16. To print or broadcast something in the media; also, of a story, picture or advertisement, to appear in print or on air.
   - Simple: To print or broadcast a story or advertisement, or for one to be printed or shown.
   - _The magazine refused to run the piece._
   - _Which channel is running the debate?_
18. In American football, to carry the ball down the field rather than passing or kicking it.
   - Simple: In American football, to carry the ball forward instead of throwing or kicking it.
   - _Teams that run the ball well can keep the other offense off the field._
   - _Their rookie back ran for 120 yards in his first start._
20. To incur or encounter a risk or danger.
   - Simple: To face a risk or danger.
   - _Anyone who invests runs some risk._
   - _Stay and you run a serious risk._
26. To cost, or to come to a particular amount.
   - Simple: To cost a certain amount.
   - _Dinner for four will run close to two hundred._
   - _The tickets ran us fifty each._
21. To move briskly or smoothly by sliding, rolling, sweeping, or a similar motion.
   - Simple: To move quickly or smoothly, for example by sliding or rolling.
   - _Sliding barn doors run along a steel track mounted above the opening._
   - _His fingers ran lightly over the piano keys._
27. To make a liquid flow, or to let liquid flow out of or into a container or other object.
   - Simple: To make water or another liquid flow, or to let it flow out of or into something.
   - _Run the faucet for a minute until the water turns cold._
   - _The plumber ran water through the new pipes to check for leaks._
28. To go through a stop signal, or ignore a duty to yield, without stopping.
   - Simple: To go through a red light or stop sign without stopping.
   - _He was fined for running a red._
   - _Cyclists who run stop signs give the rest of us a bad name._
32. Of dye, paint or ink, to leak or bleed into what is around it.
   - Simple: To spread where it should not, used about dye, paint or ink.
   - _The ink ran when the letter got wet._
   - _Cheap paint will run in the rain._
35. Of stitches or knitted clothing, to unravel in a line.
   - Simple: To come apart in a line, used about stitches or knitted clothes.
   - _Cheap tights run at the first touch._
   - _She snagged her tights on the car door, and by the time she got to work they had run from knee to ankle._
36. To make a person, animal or thing move quickly or lightly.
   - Simple: To make something move fast or lightly.
   - _At dawn the sailors ran the flag up the mast._
   - _The trainers run the young horses around the track each morning to build stamina._
37. To smuggle illegal goods, such as guns, into or out of a place.
   - Simple: To secretly move things that are against the law, like guns, from one place to another.
   - _During Prohibition, speedboats ran whiskey in from Canada under cover of darkness._
   - _Investigators believe the crew was hired to run weapons to militias across the border._
38. Of a text, saying or other combination of words, to be worded in a particular way.
   - Simple: Of a note, rhyme or saying, to have certain words in a certain order.
   - _The inscription on the old bell ran, "I call the living, I mourn the dead."_
   - _The terms of the settlement run as follows: each side pays its own costs._
40. To make something, such as a wire, extend along or through a space.
   - Simple: To put something long, like a wire, so that it goes from one place to another.
   - _The electrician will run new wiring through the attic._
   - _They ran a low fence along the edge of the property._
41. To take someone or something somewhere, usually as a quick trip.
   - Simple: To quickly take a person or thing to a place.
   - _My neighbor offered to run the kids to soccer practice._
   - _She ran the signed contracts down to the legal department._
44. To move or spread quickly, as a rumor or an illness does through a group of people.
   - Simple: To move or spread fast, the way news or a cold passes through a group.
   - _Rumors run through this office faster than email._
   - _A wave of panic ran through the crowd when the lights went out._
46. To put forward a person as a candidate in an election.
   - Simple: To put someone forward to try to win an election.
   - _The union may run its own candidate for the school board._
   - _The small party plans to run a candidate in every Senate race this year._
47. To pass or move quickly in thought or conversation, as from one subject to another.
   - Simple: To move quickly from one idea or topic to another when thinking or talking.
   - _Her thoughts run back to that summer whenever she hears the song._
   - _The conversation ran from politics to gardening in a matter of minutes._

## Noun

9. An act or spell of running on foot.
   - Simple: A period of running for exercise, or a running move in a game.
   - _She goes for a run before work._
   - _The winger's run took him past two defenders._
11. In baseball, the score made when a player legally touches all the bases and home plate, or the act of scoring it.
   - Simple: In baseball, a point scored when a runner touches all four bases.
   - _They won by a single run when their catcher scored in the bottom of the ninth._
   - _She drove in the winning run with a double._
12. A continuous period marked by one trend.
   - Simple: A period when the same thing keeps happening.
   - _The team is on a run of six wins._
   - _After a run of wet summers, this one was dry._
14. The period during which a play, film or series is shown.
   - Simple: The period when a play, film or show is on.
   - _The musical closed after a record run of thirty years._
   - _Her first play had a short run in a tiny theater._
17. One trial of something, such as a single performance of an experiment or test.
   - Simple: One try or test of something, like doing an experiment one time.
   - _Each run of the simulation takes about six hours on the lab's computer._
   - _The prototype engine failed on its first run but worked perfectly on the second._
24. A bid to win something, such as a campaign for elected office or a team's progress through a competition toward a championship.
   - Simple: A try at winning something, like a campaign to be elected or a team's way through a contest to win it.
   - _The senator is widely expected to make a run for the presidency in two years._
   - _The team's playoff run ended with a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals._
25. A hurried trip or errand, not necessarily on foot.
   - Simple: A quick trip somewhere, often by car.
   - _She made a quick run into town for bread._
   - _Can you make a coffee run for the whole office?_
19. In American football, a play in which a player carries the ball forward rather than passing it.
   - Simple: In American football, a play where a player carries the ball forward instead of throwing it.
   - _The rookie broke loose for a 60-yard run that set up the winning field goal._
   - _The coach called runs on the first four plays to wear down the defense._
22. In cricket, the unit of scoring, or one crossing of the batters from wicket to wicket that earns it; runs also come from boundaries and extras.
   - Simple: In cricket, a point, or the act of running from one wicket to the other to score one.
   - _The batters scampered through for a quick run before the throw came in._
   - _The visitors needed forty runs from the final five overs._
29. A line of unraveled stitches, especially in a nylon stocking.
   - Simple: A line of dropped stitches in a stocking or knitted cloth.
   - _She noticed the run in her pantyhose just before the interview._
   - _Clear nail polish will stop a run spreading._
30. A quantity of something produced at one time, as in a factory or a print shop.
   - Simple: An amount of things made at one time, like in a factory.
   - _The first run of the vinyl record sold out in a week._
   - _The plant does several short runs a month to test new designs._
31. In banking, a sudden wave of withdrawals from a bank or other institution by customers who fear for their money: a run on the banks.
   - Simple: A rush of customers taking their money out of a bank.
   - _The rumor started a run on the savings bank._
   - _Governments guarantee deposits partly to prevent a run._
33. A regular trip or the route it follows.
   - Simple: A regular trip or route, as of a bus or a ship.
   - _He drove the Boston run for twenty years._
   - _The last run of the night leaves at midnight._
34. In music, a rapid passage of notes, especially along a scale.
   - Simple: In music, a fast series of notes, often up or down a scale.
   - _The flute has a run of sixteenth notes in bar twelve._
   - _Her runs were flawless and a little too frequent._
39. The route someone takes when out running or skiing.
   - Simple: The path you take when you go running or skiing.
   - _The steepest run on the mountain is closed until the snow firms up._
   - _She mapped out three new runs through the hills for the club's Sunday outings._
42. A sudden, heavy demand for something.
   - Simple: A sudden time when many people want the same thing.
   - _News of the shortage set off a run on bottled water._
   - _The launch triggered a run on the new phone, crashing the company's website._
43. An enclosed area where an animal is kept, or a track or path along which something can travel.
   - Simple: A fenced space for animals, or a path or track that something moves along.
   - _Each dog at the kennel has its own run with a covered shelter at one end._
   - _Deer had worn a narrow run through the tall grass down to the creek._
45. An act or period of fleeing, as from the police or from danger.
   - Simple: A time when someone is escaping, for example from the police.
   - _His long run from the law ended when a neighbor recognized him._
   - _The prisoners made a run for the border before dawn._
48. A migration of fish, when they move together from one area of water to another.
   - Simple: A time when many fish swim together to a new place.
   - _Anglers line the riverbank every fall for the salmon run._
   - _Old dams still block the spring runs of shad and herring._
49. A single trip down a slope, as in skiing or bobsledding.
   - Simple: One trip down a hill, on skis or a sled.
   - _The German team posted the fastest time on its final run down the bobsled track._
   - _After three runs on the steep slope, his legs were shaking._
50. In video games, a playthrough or an attempt at one, or a single session of play.
   - Simple: In video games, one try at playing through a game, or one time playing it.
   - _A glitch on the last level ended her world-record run._
   - _He resets dozens of runs a night trying to shave off a few seconds._
51. Unrestricted use of a place or its contents, usually in the phrase have the run of.
   - Simple: Freedom to go anywhere and use anything in a place.
   - _Guests at the retreat have the run of the grounds, including the lake._
   - _As the owner's son, he had the run of the factory floor._
52. In construction, the horizontal distance covered by a slope.
   - Simple: In building, how far a slope goes across, not how high it goes.
   - _The carpenter divided the rise by the run to find the pitch of the roof._
   - _Doubling the run of the ramp made it half as steep._
53. An ordinary, unremarkable class or set of people or things.
   - Simple: The usual, ordinary kind of people or things in a group.
   - _The festival lineup was mostly the usual run of crime thrillers and family dramas._
   - _Her paintings rise well above the general run of tourist art sold along the pier._
54. In card games, a series of consecutive cards all belonging to one suit.
   - Simple: In card games, cards of the same suit that come one after another in order.
   - _He laid down a run from the eight to the jack of diamonds._
   - _Rather than break up her runs, she discarded a lone king._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To finish a race or running course in a stated time, as in she ran a four-hour marathon.
- (verb) To operate a bus, train or other vehicle along a route.
- (verb) To travel down a stretch of river by boat or raft, especially through rapids.
- (verb) Of fish, to swim upstream or along a coast in large numbers to lay eggs.
- (verb) In juggling, to keep a pattern going without stopping, rather than doing only a few throws.
- (verb) To turn from solid into liquid.
- (verb) To make an object by pouring melted metal or wax into a mold.
- (verb) To sail with the wind coming from behind, rather than across the side or ahead.
- (verb) To enter a horse, dog or other competitor in a race.
- (verb) To keep going or carry on with an activity without stopping.
- (verb) In quality control, to work through a large batch of fruit or vegetables, sorting it by quality.
- (verb) To make the stitches in a garment come undone in a line, as when a stocking ladders.
- (verb) To trace something in the mind, following it through its stages or back to its origin.
- (verb) To push or stick something into or through something else, as in he ran a sword through it.
- (verb) To force or steer something, or let it be pushed, in a certain direction, as in to run a ship aground.
- (verb) To draw or trace a line, or to fix a boundary or direction.
- (verb) To stake or risk something, such as one's fortune, on an uncertain outcome.
- (verb) To make fun of someone with mocking remarks.
- (verb) To join fabric along a seam with a continuous line of small in-and-out stitches, often picking up several with the needle before pulling the thread through.
- (verb) In a card game, to have control of play or the advantage over other players.
- (verb) To be widely known or accepted, as a saying or report is.
- (verb) To develop or grow.
- (verb) To lean toward a certain result or quality, as in his taste runs to spicy food.
- (verb) Of a legal right, duty or condition, to stay in effect or go along with something, as in the covenant runs with the land.
- (verb) To meet with or undergo some fate, usually a bad one.
- (verb) In golf, to hit the ball low so that it rolls along the ground toward the hole.
- (verb) To play through a video game as fast as possible, often for a record.
- (verb) To send a player or coach out of a game as a penalty.
- (verb) To rush a bank or similar institution with sudden, heavy demands to withdraw money.
- (noun) A short journey taken for enjoyment.
- (noun) A large group of fish swimming upriver or along a coast to lay eggs.
- (noun) The distance a ship covers in sailing.
- (noun) A journey by ship.
- (noun) One instance of carrying out a computer program or model.
- (noun) In Australia and New Zealand, a large rural property used for farming, especially sheep, managed by a runholder.
- (noun) The state of being widely accepted, used or in fashion.
- (noun) A string of successful attempts one after another in a game.
- (noun) A long stretch of taking a drug, usually every day.
- (noun) A stream of liquid, or liquid leaking out.
- (noun) A small stream or a stretch of one, a term used mainly in parts of the eastern United States.
- (noun) A fast way of moving on foot, quicker than walking.
- (noun) A horse's fastest pace, a full-speed gallop.
- (noun) The flat upper surface of a stair that the foot rests on, as distinct from the vertical rise.
- (noun) The total distance a staircase covers measured flat across the floor, from first step to last.
- (noun) The forward rolling motion given to a golf ball when it is played along the ground.
- (noun) How far a ball carries on, bouncing and rolling, after it first lands from a shot.
- (noun) In drilling for oil, the depth or length bored by a single bit.
- (noun) The rear section of a ship's hull below the waterline, where it narrows and curves up toward the stern.
- (noun) The horizontal distance a mine tunnel may be extended, as allowed by the owner or the rock, or the course a vein of ore follows.
- (noun) Two or more grinding stones that work as a unit in a mill.
- (noun) The manner in which a person moves when running.
- (adjective) Melted, or in liquid form.
- (adjective) Shaped by pouring molten material into a mold.
- (adjective) Worn out or used up, especially in "run down" or "run out."
- (adjective) Of fish, having migrated, especially upriver to spawn.
- (adjective) Moved secretly into or out of a country against the law, especially to avoid duty.
- (verb) Past participle of "rin," a Scots and northern English dialect verb for moving quickly on foot.

## Origin

"Run" comes from Middle English runnen/rennen, an altered form of rinnen ("to run"), from Old English rinnan/iernan and Old Norse rinna, both from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną ("to run") and probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- ("to boil, churn"). It is related to Dutch rennen, German rennen, and Swedish ränna.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/run (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).