run
1. run \'r*n\ \'ran\ vb or ran; or run or run.ning [ME ronnen, alter. of
rinnen, v.i. (fr. OE iernan, rinnan)X & ON rinna) & of rennan, v.t., fr. ON
renna; akin to OHG rinnan, v.i., to run, OE ri-san to rise 1a: to go faster
than a walk; specif : to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet
leave the ground for an instant in each step of a horse 1b: to move at a
fast gallop 1c: FLEE, RETREAT, ESCAPE {dropped his gun and ran)X} 2a: to
go without restraint : move freely about at will {let his chick ens ~
loose} 2b: to keep company : CONSORT - used with with chiefly of male
animals {a ram running with ewes} 2c: to sail before the wind in
distinction from reaching or sailing close- hauled 2d: ROAM, ROVE {running
about with no overcoat} 3a: to go rapidly or hurriedly : HASTEN {~ and
fetch the d octor} 3b: to go in urgency or distress : RESORT {~s to his
mother at every little difficulty} 3c: to make a quick, easy, or casual
trip or visit {ran over to bo rrow some sugar} 4a: to contend in a race
4b: to enter into an election contest 5a: to move on or as if on wheels :
GLIDE {file drawers runni ng on ball bearings} 5b: to roll forward rapidly
or freely 5c: to pass or slide freely {rope ~s through the pulley} 5d: to
ravel lengthwise {stockings guaranteed not to ~} 6: to sing or play a
musical passage quickly {~ up the scale} 7a: to go back and forth : PLY
of fish 7b: to migrate or move in schools; esp : to ascend a river to spaw
n 8a: TURN, ROTATE {a swiftly running grindstone} 8b: FUNCTION, OPERATE
{engine ~s on gasoline} 9a: to continue in force or operation {the
contract has two more years t o ~} 9b: to accompany as a valid obligation
or right 9c: to continue to accrue or become payable {interest on the loan
~Rs from last July 1st} 10: to pass from one state to another {~ into debt}
11a: to flow rapidly or under pressure 11b: MELT, FUSE 11c: SPREAD,
DISSOLVE {colors guaranteed not to ~} 11d: to discharge pus or serum {a
running sore} 12a: to develop rapidly in some specific direction; esp : to
throw out an elongated shoot of growth 12b: to tend to produce or develop
a specified quality or feature {they ~ to big noses in that family} 13a:
to lie in or take a certain direction {the boundary line ~ s east} 13b: to
lie or extend in relation to something 13c: to go back : REACH 13d: to be
in a certain form or expression {letter ~s as fol lows} or order of
succession {house numbers ~ in odd numbers from 3 to 57} 14a: to occur
persistently : RECUR {musical talent seems to ~ in his family} 14b: to
continue to be of a specified size or character or quality {prof its were
running high} 14c: to exist or occur in a continuous range of variation
14d: to play on a stage a number of successive days or nights {the piece
ran for six months} 15a: to spread or pass quickly from point to point
{chills ran up his spine} 15b: to be current : CIRCULATE {specualtion ran
rife on wh o the candidate would be} 1a: to cause (an animal) to go at
speed : ride or drive fast 1b: to bring to a specified condition by or as
if by running {ran himself to death} 1c: to go in pursuit of : HUNT, CHASE
1d: to follow the trail of backward : TRACE {ran the rumor to its source}
1e: to enter, register, or enroll as a contestant in a race 1f: to put
forward as a candidate for office 2a: to drive (livestock) esp. to a
grazing place 2b: to provide pasturage for (livestock) 2c: to keep or
maintain (livestock) on or as if on pasturage 3a: to pass over or traverse
with speed 3b: to accomplish or perform by running {running errands for a
ban k} 3c: to flee from 3d: to slip through or past {~ a blockade} 4a: to
cause to penetrate or enter : THRUST {ran a splinte r into his toe} 4b:
STITCH 4c: to cause to pass : LEAD {~ a wire in from the antenna)> 4d: to
cause to collide {ran his head into a post} 4e: SMUGGLE 5: to cause to
pass lightly or quickly over, along, or into something {(Xran his eye down
the list} 6a: to cause or allow (as a vehicle, a vessel) to go in a
specified manner or direction {ran his car off the road} 6b: OPERATE {~ a
taxi} 6c: to carry on : MANAGE, CONDUCT {~ a factory} 7a: to be full of
or drenched with {streets ran blood} 7b: CONTAIN, ASSAY 8: to cause to
move or flow in a specified way or into a specified positio n {~ cards into
a file} 9a: to melt and cast in a mold {~ bullets} 9b: TREAT, PROCESS,
REFINE {~ oil in a still} 10: to make oneself liable to : INCUR {ran the
risk of dis covery} 11: to mark out {~ a contour line on a map} : DRAW {R@
a line through the word to be deleted} 12: to permit (as charges, accounts,
bills) to accumulate before settling {~ an account at the grocery} 13a: to
run off {a book to be ~ on lightweight paper} {a job t o be ~ 4-up} 13b: to
print or carry in a printed medium 14a: to make (a series of counts)
without a miss {~ 19 in an innin g in billiards} 14b: to lead winning cards
of (a suit) successively 15: to make (a golf ball) roll forward after
alighting : to meet with or discover by chance 1: PURSUE, CHASE; esp : to
seek the company of 2: to take up with : FOLLOW {run after new theories}
1: to meet suddenly or unexpectedly 2: to work or take effect unfavorably
to : DISFAVOR, OPPOSE : to have a fever : to save distance by running
directly for the game instead of following the scent or track : to collide
with {ran foul of a hidden reef} : run into conf lict with or hostility to
{run foul of the law} 1a: to change or transform into : BECOME 1b: to
merge with 1c: to mount up to {a boat like that one runs into money} 2a:
to collide with 2b: ENCOUNTER, MEET {ran into an old classmate the oth er
day} 1: to act wildly or without restraint 2: to occur in profusion : to
become insufficient : to use up 1: to exhaust vitality in producing seed
2: to cease growing : to run across : meet with - run across
2. run n 1a: an act or the action of running : continued rapid movement
1b: a quickened gallop 1c1: the act of migrating or ascending a river to
spawn 1c2: an assemblage of fish so migrating 1d: a running race {a mile
~} 1e1: a score made in cricket each time the batsmen safely change ends
1e2: a score made in baseball by a runner reaching home plate safely 1f:
strength or ability to run {two laps took most the ~ out of him } chiefly
Midland 2a: CREEK 2b: something that flows in the course of a certain
operation or during a c ertain time {the first ~ of sap in sugar maples}
3a: the stern of the underwater body of a ship from where it begins to curv
e or slope upward and inward 3b: the direction in which a vein of ore lies
3c: a direction of secondary or minor cleavage : GRAIN {~ o f a mass of
granite} 3d1: the horizontal distance covered by a flight of steps 3d2:
the horizontal distance from the wall plate to the center line of a bu
ilding 3e: general tendency or direction 4: a continuous series esp. of
things of identical or similar sort : as 4a: a rapid scale passage 4b: a
number of rapid, small dance steps executed in even tempo 4c: the act of
making successively a number of successful shots or strokes; also : the
score thus made {a ~ of 20 in billiards} 4d: an unbroken course of
performances or showings 4e: a set of consecutive measurements, readings,
or observations 4f: persistent and heavy demands from depositors,
creditors, or customers <(a ~ on a bank} 4g: SEQUENCE 5: the quantity of
work turned out in a continuous operation 6: the usual or normal kind,
character, type, or group {average ~ o f college graduates} 7a: the
distance covered in a period of continuous traveling or sailing 7b: a
course or route mapped out and traveled with regularity : TRIPM 7c: a news
reporter's regular territory : BEAT 7d: the distance a golf ball travels
after touching the ground 7e: freedom of movement in or access to a place
or area {has the ~ of his friend's house} 8: the period during which a
machine or plant is in continuous operation 9a: a way, track, or path
frequented by animals 9b: an enclosure for livestock where they may feed
or exercise Austral 9c: a large area of land used for grazing {sheep ~} :
RANCH)M, STATION {run-holder} 9d: an inclined passageway 10a: an incline
course (as for skiing or bobsledding) 10b: a support (as a track, pipe, or
trough) on which something runs 11a: a ravel in a knitted fabric (as in
hosiery) caused by the breaking of stitches 11b: a paint defect caused by
excessive flow : in the course of sufficiently prolonged time, trial, or
experience 1: in haste : without pausing 2: in retreat : running away -
in the long run
3. run aj 1a: MELTED {~ butter} 1b: made from molten material : cast in a
mold {~ metal} {~ joint} of fish 2: having made a migration or spawning
run 3: exhausted or winded from running
Webster's English Dictionary