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Meaning of run in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /rən/

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  1. Verb

    run

    Etymology

    Old English rinnan, irnan (verb), of Germanic origin, probably reinforced in Middle English by Old Norse rinna, renna. The current form with -u- in the present tense is first recorded in the 16th century

    Definitions

    1. move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

    Examples

    • « Don't run--you'll be out of breath »
    • « The children ran to the store »
  2. 2. flee

    Examples

    • « take to one's heels »
    • « cut and run »
    • « If you see this man, run! »
    • « The burglars escaped before the police showed up »
  3. 3. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope

    Examples

    • « run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point »
    • « Service runs all the way to Cranbury »
    • « His knowledge doesn't go very far »
    • « My memory extends back to my fourth year of life »
    • « The facts ex »
  4. 4. direct or control

    Examples

    • « projects, businesses, etc. »
    • « She is running a relief operation in the Sudan »
  5. 5. have a particular form

    Examples

    • « the story or argument runs as follows »
    • « as the saying goes... »
  6. 6. move along, of liquids

    Examples

    • « Water flowed into the cave »
    • « the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi »
  7. 7. perform as expected when applied

    Examples

    • « The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in »
    • « Does this old car still run well? »
    • « This old radio doesn't work anymore »

    Antonyms

    • malfunction
    • misfunction
  8. 8. change or be different within limits

    Examples

    • « Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion »
    • « Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent »
    • « The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals »
    • « My students range from very bright to dull »
  9. 9. run, stand, or compete for an office or a position

    Examples

    • « Who's running for treasurer this year? »
  10. 10. cause to emit recorded sounds

    Examples

    • « They ran the tapes over and over again »
    • « Can you play my favorite record? »
  11. 11. move about freely and without restraint, or act as if running around in an uncontrolled way

    Examples

    • « who are these people running around in the building? »
    • « She runs around telling everyone of her troubles »
    • « let the dogs run free »
  12. 12. have a tendency or disposition to do or be something

    Examples

    • « be inclined »
    • « She tends to be nervous before her lectures »
    • « These dresses run small »
    • « He inclined to corpulence »
  13. 13. carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine

    Examples

    • « Run the dishwasher »
    • « run a new program on the Mac »
    • « the computer executed the instruction »
  14. 14. be operating, running or functioning

    Examples

    • « The car is still running--turn it off! »

    Antonyms

    • idle
    • tick over
  15. 15. change from one state to another

    Examples

    • « run amok »
    • « run rogue »
    • « run riot »
  16. 16. cause to perform

    Examples

    • « run a subject »
    • « run a process »
  17. 17. be affected by

    Examples

    • « be subjected to »
    • « run a temperature »
    • « run a risk »
  18. 18. continue to exist

    Examples

    • « These stories die hard »
    • « The legend of Elvis endures »
  19. 19. occur persistently

    Examples

    • « Musical talent runs in the family »
  20. 20. include as the content

    Examples

    • « broadcast or publicize »
    • « We ran the ad three times »
    • « This paper carries a restaurant review »
    • « All major networks carried the press conference »
  21. 21. carry out

    Examples

    • « run an errand »
  22. 22. guide or pass over something

    Examples

    • « He ran his eyes over her body »
    • « She ran her fingers along the carved figurine »
    • « He drew her hair through his fingers »
  23. 23. cause something to pass or lead somewhere

    Examples

    • « Run the wire behind the cabinet »
  24. 24. make without a miss
  25. 25. deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor
  26. 26. cause an animal to move fast

    Examples

    • « run the dogs »
  27. 27. be diffused

    Examples

    • « These dyes and colors are guaranteed not to run »
  28. 28. sail before the wind
  29. 29. cover by running

    Examples

    • « run a certain distance »
    • « She ran 10 miles that day »
  30. 30. extend or continue for a certain period of time

    Examples

    • « The film runs 5 hours »
  31. 31. set animals loose to graze
  32. 32. keep company

    Examples

    • « the heifers run with the bulls ot produce offspring »
  33. 33. run with the ball

    Examples

    • « in such sports as football »
  34. 34. travel rapidly, by any (unspecified) means

    Examples

    • « Run to the store! »
    • « She always runs to Italy, because she has a lover there »
  35. 35. travel a route regularly

    Examples

    • « Ships ply the waters near the coast »
  36. 36. pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)

    Examples

    • « Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland »
    • « The dogs are running deer »
    • « The Duke hunted in these woods »
  37. 37. compete in a race

    Examples

    • « he is running the Marathon this year »
    • « let's race and see who gets there first »
  38. 38. progress by being changed

    Examples

    • « The speech has to go through several more drafts »
    • « run through your presentation before the meeting »
  39. 39. reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

    Examples

    • « melt butter »
    • « melt down gold »
    • « The wax melted in the sun »
  40. 40. come unraveled or undone as if by snagging

    Examples

    • « Her nylons were running »
  41. 41. become undone

    Examples

    • « the sweater unraveled »
  42. Noun

    run

    Definitions

    1. a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely

    Examples

    • « the Yankees scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th »
    • « their first tally came in the 3rd inning »
  43. 2. the act of testing something

    Examples

    • « in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately »
    • « he called each flip of the coin a new trial »
  44. 3. a race run on foot

    Examples

    • « she broke the record for the half-mile run »
  45. 4. an unbroken series of events

    Examples

    • « had a streak of bad luck »
    • « Nicklaus had a run of birdies »
  46. 5. (American football) a play in which a player runs with the ball

    Examples

    • « the defensive line braced to stop the run »
    • « the coach put great emphasis on running »
  47. 6. a regular trip

    Examples

    • « the ship made its run in record time »
  48. 7. the act of running

    Examples

    • « traveling on foot at a fast pace »
    • « he broke into a run »
    • « his daily run keeps him fit »
  49. 8. the continuous period of time during which something (a machine or a factory) operates or continues in operation

    Examples

    • « the assembly line was on a 12-hour run »
  50. 9. unrestricted freedom to use

    Examples

    • « he has the run of the house »
  51. 10. the production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.)

    Examples

    • « a daily run of 100,000 gallons of paint »
  52. 11. a small stream
  53. 12. a race between candidates for elective office

    Examples

    • « I managed his campaign for governor »
    • « he is raising money for a Senate run »
  54. 13. a row of unravelled stitches

    Examples

    • « she got a run in her stocking »
  55. 14. the pouring forth of a fluid
  56. 15. an unbroken chronological sequence

    Examples

    • « the play had a long run on Broadway »
    • « the team enjoyed a brief run of victories »
  57. 16. a short trip

    Examples

    • « take a run into town »

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