# runner

Pronunciation: US say "RUN-ur" /ˈɹʌnɚ/; UK/AUS say "RUN-uh" /ˈɹʌnə/

## Noun

1. Someone who covers ground quickly on foot, particularly as an athlete.
   - Simple: A person who moves quickly on foot, often as a sport.
   - _The lead runner pulled away from the pack on the final hill._
   - _Marathon runners pace themselves carefully over the long distance._
2. A person, animal, or especially a horse entered in a race or competition; also a candidate standing for election.
   - Simple: An entry in a race or contest, such as a horse or a person running for office.
   - _The favorite runner pulled up lame before the final turn._
   - _She was the strongest runner in the senate race that year._
3. A long, narrow carpet laid in a high-traffic area such as a hallway or staircase.
   - Simple: A long, narrow carpet for a busy area like a hallway or stairs.
   - _A worn runner stretched the length of the upstairs corridor._
   - _She chose a patterned runner for the entryway floor._
4. A restaurant worker whose job is carrying food from the kitchen out to the tables.
   - Simple: A worker in a restaurant who carries food from the kitchen to the tables.
   - _As a runner, he spent the dinner rush ferrying dishes to packed tables._
   - _The new runner dropped off our food and dashed back to the pass._
5. A long stolon that a plant such as the strawberry sends out to root new plantlets; also a plant that spreads by producing them.
   - Simple: A long stem that a plant sends out along the ground to grow new plants.
   - _Each runner crept across the soil and took root a few inches away._
   - _Spider plants spread by dropping plantlets from their runners._
6. A person sent on errands or to carry messages, especially for a bank; historically, a soldier who carried messages during war.
   - Simple: A person sent to carry messages or run errands, often for a bank.
   - _A runner carried the dispatch through enemy lines under cover of darkness._
   - _The firm employed a runner to ferry documents between its two branches._
7. A mechanical part that guides something else as it moves, or helps it move, by rolling on wheels or by sliding.
   - Simple: A machine part that guides something or helps it move, using wheels or by sliding.
   - _The barn-style door hangs from two runners that roll along a steel track above the opening._
   - _Grease the runner every few months, or the sliding gate will start to stick._
8. The channel or strip along which a drawer slides as it opens and closes.
   - Simple: A strip or track that a drawer slides along to open and close.
   - _One runner had cracked, so the drawer no longer slid evenly._
   - _The cabinetmaker fitted new metal runners to each drawer._
9. A person or vessel that slips through blockades or carries smuggled goods.
   - Simple: A person or boat that sneaks past a blockade or carries smuggled goods.
   - _A sleek runner carried cotton through the wartime blockade._
   - _The navy seized two runners loaded with contraband off the coast._
10. The curved length of wood at the base of a rocking chair on which it rocks.
   - Simple: The curved piece at the bottom of a rocking chair that lets it rock.
   - _A loose runner made the rocker tip awkwardly to one side._
   - _He sanded the curved runners until the chair rocked smoothly again._
11. The metal blade fixed to the bottom of an ice skate.
   - Simple: The metal blade on the bottom of an ice skate.
   - _A nick in the runner sent the skater wobbling across the rink._
   - _The skate's runners glided cleanly over the fresh ice._
12. A smooth strip on the underside of a sled that lets it slide over snow.
   - Simple: A smooth strip that a sled slides along over snow.
   - _A bent runner made the sled veer to the left._
   - _Polished runners helped the sled glide faster downhill._
13. A baseball or softball player who has reached base and may advance around the bases.
   - Simple: A player who is on or running between the bases in baseball.
   - _The runner tagged up and sprinted home after the catch._
   - _With runners on first and third, the manager called for a bunt._
14. A person who runs away from duty or custody; a deserter or escapee.
   - Simple: A person who runs away, such as someone who escapes or deserts.
   - _The army posted a reward for the runner who had abandoned his post._
   - _Search parties combed the hills for the two runners._
15. A sudden escape from a scene, usually to avoid paying or being caught; also the person who flees. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A fast escape from a place, often to avoid paying or getting caught.
   - _The diners did a runner before the check reached the table._
   - _Spotting the inspector, the fare-dodger did a runner down the platform._
16. A strip of fabric laid across a table or dressing table to decorate or protect it.
   - Simple: A strip of cloth used to decorate or protect a table or dresser.
   - _A red runner ran the length of the holiday table._
   - _She embroidered a runner for the dressing table by the window._
17. A soft-soled shoe of the kind originally designed for runners. *(dialectal, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A soft, flat shoe made for running or sport.
   - _She slipped off one runner to shake a pebble out of it._
   - _Their muddy runners were lined up neatly by the back door._
18. A joke or gag that recurs repeatedly throughout a performance, series, or piece of writing.
   - Simple: A joke that keeps coming back again and again in a show or story.
   - _The show's best runner involved a door that never quite closed._
   - _Writers planted a runner in the pilot and paid it off in the finale._
19. A working car that starts, runs, and can be driven. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A car that still works and can be driven.
   - _Despite the rust, the old Mini is a reliable runner._
   - _She advertised the van as a daily runner with a fresh engine._
20. A person who controls or manages something, such as a system or operation.
   - Simple: A person who controls or runs something, such as a system or operation.
   - _The runners of the fantasy football league keep a small fee from each entry to pay for the website._
   - _As the runner of the family business, she made every final decision._
21. An idea or plan judged to have a genuine chance of being adopted or put into practice.
   - Simple: An idea or plan that has a real chance of being used or carried out.
   - _The committee decided the recycling scheme was a runner and funded it._
   - _Only one of the three pitches turned out to be a genuine runner._
22. A player who attempts to complete a video game, or part of one, as quickly as possible.
   - Simple: A person who tries to finish a video game as fast as possible.
   - _The runner shaved two seconds off the world record with a risky shortcut._
   - _Top runners memorize every glitch that saves a fraction of a second._
23. A short sling with a carabiner at each end, used to connect the climbing rope to a bolt or other piece of protection.
   - Simple: A short loop of strong webbing with a clip at each end, used to join a climbing rope to safety gear.
   - _She extended the placement with a runner to reduce rope drag._
   - _Each runner on his harness was color-coded by length._
24. A junior assistant on a film, television, or broadcast production who carries out errands and small tasks.
   - Simple: A junior helper on a film or TV set who runs errands and does small jobs.
   - _The runner delivered the rushes to the editing suite before lunch._
   - _Most directors started out as a runner making tea on set._
25. In cricket, a player who runs between the wickets on behalf of a batsman too injured to run, dressed identically and carrying a bat.
   - Simple: In cricket, a player who runs between the wickets for a batsman too hurt to run.
   - _With a torn hamstring, the captain batted on while a runner did the sprinting._
   - _The umpire checked that the runner wore the same pads as the injured batsman._
26. A person employed by a gambling establishment to find potential customers and bring them in.
   - Simple: A person paid by a casino or betting business to find new customers and bring them in.
   - _The club's runner trawled the hotel bars for wealthy gamblers._
   - _She earned a commission as a runner for an underground poker room._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In Australian rules football, a team official who runs onto the field during play to relay the coach's instructions to players, without interfering with play and often wearing an identifying shirt.
- (noun) A person employed by a sports agent to recruit prospective player clients on the agent's behalf.
- (noun) A competitor taking part in a poker tournament.
- (noun) A section of a cigarette that burns unevenly, faster down one side than the other.
- (noun) A prisoner trusted with extra freedom and small jobs, often carrying messages around the prison.
- (noun) A strip sewn to the lower edge of a shoe's upper so that the sole can be cemented to it.
- (noun) A sliding rail or part that lets a component be drawn out of a machine for servicing.
- (noun) In saddlery, a metal ring or loop that a rein slides through.
- (noun) A groove in a mold that carries molten metal or plastic to the cavity.
- (noun) The millstone that turns in a grinding mill, usually the upper one, working against a fixed stone.
- (noun) The sliding collar on an umbrella's shaft that holds the ribs and opens or closes them.
- (noun) A holder to which lenses are fixed while they are being ground and polished.
- (noun) A sleek game fish of warm Atlantic waters, Elagatis bipinnulata, known for leaping, also called the rainbow runner.
- (noun) A rope rove through an extra block to multiply the pulling force of a tackle.
- (noun) A small stream or brook.
- (noun) A vessel used to carry fish or oysters from the fishing grounds to market.

## Origin

From Middle English rennere (also rynner, urnare), equivalent to run + -er, and cognate with Old Norse rennari ("runner; messenger"). It replaced the earlier Middle English runel, from Old English rynel ("runner; messenger, courier").

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