Definition of run in English English dictionary
- A point scored in baseball and cricket
- A trial of an experiment
The data got lost, so I'll have to perform another run of the experiment.
- An errand or the journey associated with an errand
I need to make a run to the store.
- The act of running
I just got back from my run.
- To make something extend in space
I need to run this wire along the wall.
- A series of tries in a game that were successful
- The stern of the underwater body of a ship from where it begins to curve upward and inward
- To go through without stopping, usually illegally
run a blockade.
- Of a liquid, to flow
There's blood running down your leg.
- To leak or spread in an undesirable fashion , to bleed (especially used of dye or paint)
He discovered during washing that the red rug ran on his white sheet, staining it pink.
- To execute or carry out a plan, procedure, or program
My computer is too old to run the new OS.
- To control or manage, be in charge of
My parents think they run my life.
- A flow of liquid; a leak
The constant run of water from the faucet annoys me.
- Unrestricted use of an area
He can have the run of the house.
- Exhausted; depleted (especially with "down" or "out".)
- To control or have precedence in a card game
Every three or four hands he would run the table.
- A sequence of cards in a suit in a card game
- To extend in space or through a range (often with a measure phrase)
It ran in quality from excellent to substandard.
- Of stitches, to unravel
My stocking is running.
- The horizontal length of a set of stairs
- To cost a large amount of money
Laptops run about a thousand dollars apiece.
- Of an object, to have a liquid flowing from it
My cup runneth over.
- Any sudden large demand for something
There was a run on Christmas presents.
- A pleasure trip
Let's go for a run in the car.
- To compete in a race
I'm not ready to run a marathon.
- copulative To become different in a way mentioned (usually to become worse)
I was no more than a boy / In the company of strangers / In the quiet of the railway station / Running scared.
- A line of knit stitches that have unravelled, particularly in a nylon stocking
I have a run in my stocking.
- A pace faster than a walk
He broke into a run.
- A sudden series of demands on a bank or other financial institution, especially characterised by great withdrawals
Financial insecurity led to a run on the banks, as customers feared for the security of their savings.
- To juggle a pattern continuously, as opposed to starting and stopping quickly
- To be presented in one of the media
Her picture ran on the front page of the newspaper.
- The length of a showing of a play, film, tv series or season or themes/genres of such
It is the last week of our French cinema run.
- A standard or unexceptional group or category
He stood out from the usual run of applicants.
- Of fish, to migrate for spawning
- horizontal dimension of a slope
- A production quantity in a factory
Yesterday we did a run of 12,000 units.
- To move or spread quickly
The flu is running through my daughter's kindergarten.
- To smuggle illegal goods
run rum.
- To print or broadcast in the media
run an ad.
- The route taken while running
Which run did you do today?.
- In a liquid state; melted; molten
Put some run butter on the vegetables.
- An enclosure for an animal; a track or path along which something can travel
He set up a rabbit run.
- To be a candidate in an election
We're trying to find somebody to run against him next year.
- A fast gallop
- To extend in time, to last, to continue (usually with a measure phrase)
The speech runs as follows:.
- A rapid passage in music, especially along a scale
- The amount of something made
The book’s initial press run will be 5,000 copies.
- To flee away from a danger or towards help
When he's broke, he runs to me for money.
- A small creek or part thereof
- To transport someone or something
Please run this report upstairs to director's office.
- The top of a step on a staircase, also called a tread, as opposed to the rise
- To make a machine operate
Don't run the engine so fast.
- An interval of distance or time, a period marked by a continuing trend
I’m having a run of bad luck.
- To make a liquid flow; to make liquid flow from an object
Run the tap until the water gets hot.
- A regular trip or route
The bus on the Cherry Street run is always crowded.
- To go at a fast pace, to move quickly
Sorry, I've got to run; my house is on fire.
- To cause to move quickly; to make move lightly
Can you run these data through the program for me and tell me whether it gives an error?.
- To sort through a large volume of produce in quality control
Looks like we're gonna have to run the tomatoes again.
- To carry a football down the field
- To make run in a race or an election
The Green Party is running twenty candidates in this election.
- Of a machine, including computer programs, to be operating or working normally
Buses don't run here on Sunday.
- To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately making a short jump off of either foot, compare: walk
Run, Sarah, run!.
- A single trip down a hill, as in skiing and bobsledding
- {n} a course, cadence, reception, success, a skain of 2 knots, unusual demands upon a bank, the aft part of a ships bottom, a small stream
- {v} to move or flow swiftly, rush, contend, pass, have a general reception, pierce or stab, drive fast, form in a mold, incur, ascertain an imaginary line, smuggle
- the continuous period of time during which something (a machine or a factory) operates or continues in operation; "the assembly line was on a 12-hour run"
- When a machine is running or when you are running it, it is switched on and is working. We told him to wait out front with the engine running. with everybody running their appliances all at the same time
- To strike (the ball) in such a way as to cause it to run along the ground, as when approaching a hole
- run, stand, or compete for an office or a position; "Who's running for treasurer this year?"
- carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine; "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction"
- run a bath
- To fill a bathtub with water in preparation for taking a bath
Never leave a child unattended when you are running him a bath.
- run a mile
- To escape, flee or leave a situation or relationship, usually as a result of a shocking or sudden announcement or revelation
If I told him that I had kids, he'd run a mile.
- run a red light
- To pass through the traffic light when the red light is on
- run a red light
- To enter a restricted area. To trespass
- run a red light
- To falsely accuse someone of wrongdoing
- run a red light
- To pass a political bill that is clearly based on false premises
- run about
- To be very busy doing many different things
I've been running about all week getting everything ready for the holidays.
- run across
- To find or discover by chance
While I was cleaning the kitchen cupboards, I ran across Mother's recipe for Cornish game hens.
- run across
- To cross by running
The police ran across the bridge to catch the criminal.
- run afoul
- To become entangled or in conflict with
- run afoul of
- To contravene
When quoting others, take care not to run afoul of copyright rules.
- run afoul of
- To become entangled in; to run aground on
- run after
- To make a determined effort to win someone's affections
She runs after any man in uniform!.
- run after
- To chase
That dog will get hurt if he continues to run after cars.
- run aground
- For a vessel to be immobilized by water too shallow to allow it to float
- run aground
- To cause a vessel to run aground
- run amok
- To go on a rampage; to be in an uncontrollable rage
- run and gun
- To move the ball quickly and shoot often. Often used attributively
This coach likes to play a run and gun offense.
- run around
- To be very busy doing many different things
I don't want to run around all week getting everything ready for the holidays.
- run around
- to move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction
- run around after
- To spend a lot of time doing things for another person or group of people. Often used when that person could reasonably do the things for themselves
I have spent all morning running around after the kids.
- run around like a chicken with its head cut off
- To act in a haphazard or aimless way; frantically or without control
The president doesn't know what to do. He's running around like a headless chicken.
- run around with
- To spend a lot of time with a person or group of people. Often used to talk about a person's group of friends that one does not like much
I'm not happy about the friends my son is running around with at the moment.
- run away
- To leave home, or other place of residence, usually unannounced, or to make good on a threat, with such action usually performed by a child or juvenile
The little boy was unhappy about having to take a bath every day and decided to run away from home.
- run away
- To flee by running
The crowd had to run away from the burning structure with only the clothes on their backs.
- run away with
- To leave secretly with another person. Usually with the intention of getting married or of living together against the wishes of the family
- run away with
- To be misled by imagining that one's desires can come true
He allowed his emotions to run away with him.
- run back
- To rewind a film or cassette
Can you run it back to the beginning, please?.
- run back
- To take someone home by car. Give someone a lift to their house
If you can wait a couple of minutes, I'll run you back.
- run batted in
- A run that a given player has caused to be scored by a hit, walk, or sacrifice
- run by
- To inform someone briefly of the main points of an idea
I would like to hear your opinion on this. Have you got a few minutes, so I can run some ideas by you.
- run by
- To repeat some information
Can you just run those numbers by me again, please? To make sure I've got them clear.
- run chase
- the situation in which the side batting last need to score a certain number of runs to win; the effort made by such a side to win
- run circles around
- To outperform by a great margin
You may think you're a fast typist, but he'll run circles around you any day!.
- run circles round
- Alternative form of run circles around
- run down
- To find something or someone after searching for a long time
I finally managed to run down that report. I had filed it incorrectly.
- run down
- To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them
He was run down while crossing the main road.
- run down
- To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly
Don't run yourself down so much!.
- run down
- To read quickly a list or other short text
Running down the list of suggestions, I can see three we can discard immediately.
- run down
- To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure
The board of directors have decided to run down the stocks held in storage prior to offering the company for sale.
- run down
- To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device
If you don't switch off the car lights, you will run the battery down.
- run down the clock
- To waste time at the end of a match such that it is terminated by running out of time
- run for
- To try to obtain political position through the democratic voting process
John Smith is running for President.
- run for it
- To to escape from being discovered or caught
Quick! We'd better run for it! Someones coming.
- run for office
- To seek political power
- run for one's money
- A reasonable opportunity to succeed, perform acceptably, or escape harm, especially in a difficult situation
I say he'll get a run for his money. If there's any killing to be done, it will be in fair fight..
- run for one's money
- A difficult challenge for the person indicated, especially one involving a competitive situation
After beating Bush in New Hampshire, McCain gave him a two month run for his money. Bush had to prove he wasn't just a famous name.
- run for the hills
- Flee
- run for the roses
- A hard-fought competition or demanding challenge of any kind
I thought about leaps of faith, runs for the roses, and reaching for the stars.
- run for the roses
- A college football game or series of games played with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the championship Rose Bowl game
Looking back at Ohio State's run for the roses, there might be some who will insist the Buckeyes were lucky to escape defeat at least once. . . . the Buckeyes whipped a jinx in the form of premature Rose Bowl talk.
- run for the roses
- Nickname for the Kentucky Derby horse race
- run hot and cold
- To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure
The business runs hot and cold; some months our firm doesn't earn enough to cover expenses and other months, we net 400% profits.
- run in
- Alternative spelling of run-in
- run in
- To arrest
The guys who robbed the bank last week have finally been run in.
- run in
- To drive a car carefully when it is new so the engine is not damaged in any way
I have to drive slowly for the first 1,000 miles to run the engine in.
- run in the family
- To be a characteristic feature that is observed in several generations of a family
- run interference
- To handle problems or remove obstacles for another person, especially for a person in authority
- run into
- To collide with
He lost control of the vehicle and ran into a tree.
- run into
- To cause to collide with
He lost control of the vehicle and ran it into a tree.
- run into
- To enter by running
He ran into the building.
- run into
- To cause to blend into
You can use the paintbrush this way to run the colors into each other.
- run into
- To encounter or meet unexpectedly (literally or figuratively)
Everything was going according to plan until we ran into the legal problems.
- run into
- To reach, to flow into (a body of water)
Œāso, on the coast, at the northern extremity of the Pyrenees, where the River Magrăda, now Urumea, runs into the sea.
- run into
- To reach a large figure
By the end, the cost of the project ran into the millions of dollars.
- run into
- To blend into; to be followed by or adjacent to without there being a clear boundary
Of course, a show might start at a certain time, and one must place bets at the sports book at the right time, but for the most part, day runs into night and night runs into day without notice or comment.
- run into the ground
- To wear out, especially through excessive use
I figure this car has a few more years left in it and I intend to run it into the ground before purchasing another.
- run into the ground
- To mismanage to the point of ruin
Although he has an MBA from Harvard, he still ran the company into the ground.
- run into the ground
- To discuss ad nauseam
You've run the upcoming election into the ground and I simply won't listen to another word about it.
- run like a top
- To operate flawlessly and smoothly
I've just tuned my car, and now it's running like a top.
- run like the wind
- to run quickly
- run off
- To write something quickly
Shakespeare could run off a play in just a couple of days.
- run off
- To pour or spill off or over
They kept a barrel to store rainwater that has run off the roof.
- run off
- To operate by a particular energy source
This radio runs off batteries.
- run off
- To chase someone away
If anyone comes into this field, the bull will soon run them off.
- run off
- To flee or depart quickly
Don't run off before the end of the event.
- run off
- To make photocopies, or print
Please run off a couple dozen more flyers to pass out.
- run off
- To leave someone without prior advice
He ran off to France leaving her with all the debts and three children to bring up.
- run off at the mouth
- To talk incessantly (about something)
- run off with
- To steal or abscond
He ran off with my wallet.
- run off with
- To leave with someone with the intention of living with them or marrying them. Usually in secret because other people think it is wrong
The chief accountant has run off with his secretary!.
- run on
- To continue without interruption
We can't afford for the performance to run on for more than the specified time.
- run on
- To operate with a particular energy source
This car runs on bio-alcohol.
- run on
- To continue talking for a long time
She ran on and wouldn't let anyone get a word in edgeways.
- run on fumes
- To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel
We were running on fumes by the time we arrived, but we made it to the next gas station.
- run on fumes
- By extension, to operate with few resources or little money
The organization had been running on fumes for months, so it's not surprising that they closed their doors.
- run oneself ragged
- To work or exert oneself to the point of exhaustion
He has been running himself ragged all week trying to finish before the deadline.
- run out
- To extend a piece of material, or clothing
If I run out these curtains, they will fit the windows in the drawing room.
- run out
- Alternative spelling of runout
- run out
- To use up; to consume all of something
If this hot weather continues, we will run out of ice cream.
- run out
- To get a batsman out via a run out (see above); or, to be got out in this way
- run out
- Of a legal right, to expire, to terminate
The option will run out next week and I can't get it extended.
- run out of steam
- To run out of energy; to run out of motivation
After two of the team left the project had rather run out of steam.
- run out on
- To leave a partner suddenly and without prior warning
- run out on
- No-one could believe that John had run out on his wife and kids
- run out the clock
- To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time
- run outs
- plural form of run out
- run over
- To overflow
The bath water nearly ran over.
- run over
- To briefly describe
Before we start the project, let's just run over who is doing what.
- run over
- To exceed the allotted time
The previous presentation ran over and ours had to start late.
- run over
- To score a try
- run over
- To cross by running
The athletes must run over the bridge to reach the finish line.
- run over
- To drive over, causing injury or death
Can you believe somebody would just run over a cat like that?.
- run over
- To practice quickly, briefly
You'd better run over your statement before going on the platform.
- run rampant
- To go unchecked or without control; to be wild or excessive
The weeds had long run rampant in the garden and it would be difficult to regain control.
- run rate
- the number of runs scored by a side divided by the number of overs taken to score them
- run rings around
- To demonstrate superiority, or greater skill than another person, team or group of people
Liverpool ran rings around Ipswich in a 5-0 victory on Saturday.
- run rings round
- Alternative form of run rings around
- run riot
- To act in a uncontrolled, unbridled manner
- run riot
- To be uncontrolable
- run roughshod over
- To treat roughly or without care, respect, or moderation; to act without control; to damage
- run scared
- To try everything to avoid defeat
The campaign is in crisis mode, they are running scared and it is becoming obvious.
- run somebody ragged
- To exhaust; to demand excessive effort or work from somebody
They've been running him ragged trying to keep up with the demand for new features.
- run someone through
- To stab someone completely through the torso, usually with a sword (typically used as a threat)
- run someone through
- To inform or educate someone, typically of a new concept or a concept particular to an organization or industry
- run someone through
- To train someone, typically of a particular task
- run something by
- To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion
Let me run that idea by the board before we spend too much time on it.
- run something past
- To bring an idea or proposal to the attention of someone in order to obtain their opinion
Let me me run that idea past the board before we spend too much time on it.
- run something up the flagpole
- To propose an idea or make a suggestion in order to learn the reaction of others to it
The idea might not be so bad; why don't you run it up the flagpole at the next board meeting?.
- run tee
- A tee pipe fitting with female connections on one straight end and the branch, and a male connection on the other straight end
- run the gamut
- To encompass the full range or variety possible
His tastes in music run the gamut from classical to heavy metal.
- run through
- To repeat something
We will run through scene 2 until we get it right.
- run through
- To impale a person with a blade, usually a sword
Make just one move, and I'll run you through, sir, without hesitation.
- run through
- To go through by running
I had to run through the tunnel in the race.
- run through
- To use completely, in a short space of time. Usually money
I ran through my wages in 2 days. Now I've got to live on next to nothing till Friday!.
- run through
- To briefly summarise
Let me run through today's meeting for those who missed it.
- run through
- Of a waterway, to flow through an area
The Seine river runs through Paris.
- run through
- To pervade, of a quality that is characteristic of a group, organisation, or system
Fear of foreigners runs through that country at all levels of it's society.
- run time
- The length of a film or television program in minutes, usually with end credits included
- run time
- The time during which a program is executing
- run times
- plural form of run time
- run to
- To reach a particular maximum amount, size, value, etc
The repairs ran to 1,200 Euros.
- run to
- To reach the limit of one's abilities or tastes
I don't think my carpentry runs to making a window.
- run up
- To accumulate a debt
He ran up over 5,000 $ in unpaid bills.
- run up
- To bring a flag to the top of it's flag pole
- run up
- To make something, usually an item of clothing, very quickly
I'll run you up a skirt for tomorrow evening.
- run up
- the action of running up; the area of the pitch used by the bowler to run up, the start of which he marks with a small marker
- run up
- of a bowler, to run, or walk up to the bowling crease in order to bowl a ball
- run up against
- Begin to encounter problems with someone or something
The latest model has run up against the limits of its technical capacity.
- run up the score
- To engage in the practice - usually by coaching decision - of scoring more points than needed in a one-sided contest
The old-school coach felt that his team's weak opponent had no business playing his strong team, so he decided to run up the score.
- run wild
- to go unchecked, to be out of control
- run year
- A year in which salmon return to spawn in a particular river
- run years
- plural form of run year
- run-and-gun
- In which the player's character runs on foot and uses a projectile weapon
What makes a horror game different to write than, say, a run-and-gun first-person shooter?.
- run-down
- decrepit
- run-down
- having the spring unwound
- run-down
- tired and exhausted
- run-in
- An encounter; a scrape or brush; especially one involving trouble or difficulty
I heard his brother had a run-in with the police the other day.
- run-length encoding
- A simple data compression scheme in which sequences of the same item are replaced by one such item and a count (so for example the text BBBBB is stored as a single B with count of 5)
- run-length encodings
- plural form of run-length encoding
- run-of-the-mill
- ordinary; not special
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill refrigerator; you’ll find the extra features well worth the price.
