Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - run

(runs, running, ran) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: The form 'run' is used in the present tense and is also the past participle of the verb. 1. When you run, you move more quickly than when you walk, for example because you are in a hurry to get somewhere, or for exercise. I excused myself and ran back to the telephone... He ran the last block to the White House with two cases of gear... Antonia ran to meet them. VERB: V adv/prep, V n/amount, V • Run is also a noun. After a six-mile run, Jackie returns home for a substantial breakfast. N-COUNT: usu sing 2. When someone runs in a race, they run in competition with other people. ...when I was running in the New York Marathon... Phyllis Smith ran a controlled race to qualify in 51.32 sec. VERB: V, V n 3. When a horse runs in a race or when its owner runs it, it competes in a race. The owner insisted on Cool Ground running in the Gold Cup... If we have a wet spell, Cecil could also run Armiger in the Derby. VERB: V, V n 4. If you say that something long, such as a road, runs in a particular direction, you are describing its course or position. You can also say that something runs the length or width of something else. ...the sun-dappled trail which ran through the beech woods. VERB: V prep/adv 5. If you run a wire or tube somewhere, you fix it or pull it from, to, or across a particular place. Our host ran a long extension cord out from the house and set up a screen and a projector. VERB: V n prep/adv 6. If you run your hand or an object through something, you move your hand or the object through it. He laughed and ran his fingers through his hair... VERB: V n prep 7. If you run something through a machine, process, or series of tests, you make it go through the machine, process, or tests. They have gathered the best statistics they can find and run them through their own computers. VERB: V n through n 8. If someone runs for office in an election, they take part as a candidate. It was only last February that he announced he would run for president... It is no easy job to run against John Glenn, Ohio’s Democratic senator... Women are running in nearly all the contested seats in Los Angeles. = stand VERB: V for n, V against n, V 9. A run for office is an attempt to be elected to office. (mainly AM; in BRIT, usually use bid) He was already preparing his run for the presidency. N-SING: N for n 10. If you run something such as a business or an activity, you are in charge of it or you organize it. His stepfather ran a prosperous paint business... Is this any way to run a country?... ...a well-run, profitable organisation. VERB: V n, V n, V-ed 11. If you talk about how a system, an organization, or someone’s life is running, you are saying how well it is operating or progressing. Officials in charge of the camps say the system is now running extremely smoothly. ...the staff who have kept the bank running. VERB: usu cont, V adv, V 12. If you run an experiment, computer program, or other process, or start it running, you start it and let it continue. He ran a lot of tests and it turned out I had an infection called mycoplasma... You can check your program one command at a time while it’s running. VERB: V n, V 13. When you run a cassette or video tape or when it runs, it moves through the machine as the machine operates. He pushed the play button again and ran the tape... The tape had run to the end but recorded nothing. = play VERB: V n, V 14. 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. VERB: usu cont, V, V n 15. A machine or equipment that runs on or off a particular source of energy functions using that source of energy. Black cabs run on diesel... VERB: V on/off n 16. If you run a car or a piece of equipment, you have it and use it. (mainly BRIT) I ran a 1960 Rover 100 from 1977 until 1983. VERB: V n 17. When you say that vehicles such as trains and buses run from one place to another, you mean they regularly travel along that route. A shuttle bus runs frequently between the Inn and the Country Club. ...a government which can’t make the trains run on time. VERB: V prep, V 18. If you run someone somewhere in a car, you drive them there. (INFORMAL) Could you run me up to Baltimore? = drive VERB: V n prep/adv 19. If you run over or down to a place that is quite near, you drive there. (INFORMAL) I’ll run over to Short Mountain and check on Mrs Adams. = drive VERB: V adv 20. A run is a journey somewhere. ...doing the morning school run. N-COUNT 21. If a liquid runs in a particular direction, it flows in that direction. Tears were running down her cheeks... Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. = flow VERB: V prep/adv, V adj 22. If you run water, or if you run a tap or a bath, you cause water to flow from a tap. She went to the sink and ran water into her empty glass... VERB: V n 23. If a tap or a bath is running, water is coming out of a tap. You must have left a tap running in the bathroom... VERB: only cont, V 24. If your nose is running, liquid is flowing out of it, usually because you have a cold. Timothy was crying, mostly from exhaustion, and his nose was running. VERB: usu cont, V 25. If a surface is running with a liquid, that liquid is flowing down it. After an hour he realised he was completely running with sweat... VERB: usu cont, V with n 26. If the dye in some cloth or the ink on some paper runs, it comes off or spreads when the cloth or paper gets wet. The ink had run on the wet paper. VERB: V 27. If a feeling runs through your body or a thought runs through your mind, you experience it or think it quickly. She felt a surge of excitement run through her... = go VERB: V through n 28. If a feeling or noise runs through a group of people, it spreads among them. A buzz of excitement ran through the crowd. = go VERB: V through n 29. If a theme or feature runs through something such as someone’s actions or writing, it is present in all of it. Another thread running through this series is the role of doctors in the treatment of the mentally ill... There was something of this mood running throughout the Congress’s deliberations. VERB: V through n, V throughout n 30. When newspapers or magazines run a particular item or story or if it runs, it is published or printed. The newspaper ran a series of four editorials entitled ‘The Choice of Our Lives.’ ...an editorial that ran this weekend entitled ‘Mr. Cuomo Backs Out.’ VERB: V n, V 31. If an amount is running at a particular level, it is at that level. Today’s RPI figure shows inflation running at 10.9 per cent... = stand VERB: V at n 32. If a play, event, or legal contract runs for a particular period of time, it lasts for that period of time. It pleased critics but ran for only three years in the West End... The contract was to run from 1992 to 2020... I predict it will run and run. VERB: V for amount, V prep, V 33. If someone or something is running late, they have taken more time than had been planned. If they are running to time or ahead of time, they have taken the time planned or less than the time planned. Tell her I’ll call her back later, I’m running late again... VERB: usu cont, V adv/prep 34. If you are running a temperature or a fever, you have a high temperature because you are ill. The little girl is running a fever and she needs help. VERB: V n 35. A run of a play or television programme is the period of time during which performances are given or programmes are shown. The show will transfer to the West End on October 9, after a month’s run in Birmingham... N-COUNT: with supp 36. A run of successes or failures is a series of successes or failures. The England skipper is haunted by a run of low scores... N-SING: usu N of n 37. A run of a product is the amount that a company or factory decides to produce at one time. Wayne plans to increase the print run to 1,000... N-COUNT: usu supp N 38. In cricket or baseball, a run is a score of one, which is made by players running between marked places on the field after hitting the ball. At 20 he became the youngest player to score 2,000 runs in a season. N-COUNT 39. If someone gives you the run of a place, they give you permission to go where you like in it and use it as you wish. He had the run of the house and the pool. N-SING: the N of n 40. If there is a run on something, a lot of people want to buy it or get it at the same time. A run on sterling has killed off hopes of a rate cut... N-SING: N on n 41. A ski run or bobsleigh run is a course or route that has been designed for skiing or for riding in a bobsleigh. N-COUNT: usu n N 42. see also running, dummy run, test run, trial run 43. If something happens against the run of play or against the run of events, it is different from what is generally happening in a game or situation. (BRIT) The decisive goal arrived against the run of play... PHRASE 44. If you run someone close, run them a close second, or run a close second, you almost beat them in a race or competition. The Under-21 team has defeated Wales and Scotland this season, and ran England very close... PHRASE: V inflects 45. If a river or well runs dry, it no longer has any water in it. If an oil well runs dry, it no longer produces any oil. Streams had run dry for the first time in memory. = dry up PHRASE: V inflects 46. If a source of information or money runs dry, no more information or money can be obtained from it. Three days into production, the kitty had run dry. = dry up PHRASE: V inflects 47. If a characteristic runs in someone’s family, it often occurs in members of that family, in different generations. The insanity which ran in his family haunted him. PHRASE: V inflects 48. If you make a run for it or if you run for it, you run away in order to escape from someone or something. A helicopter hovered overhead as one of the gang made a run for it... PHRASE: V inflects 49. If people’s feelings are running high, they are very angry, concerned, or excited. Feelings there have been running high in the wake of last week’s killing. PHRASE: V inflects 50. If you talk about what will happen in the long run, you are saying what you think will happen over a long period of time in the future. If you talk about what will happen in the short run, you are saying what you think will happen in the near future. Sometimes expensive drugs or other treatments can be economical in the long run... In fact, things could get worse in the short run. PHRASE: PHR with cl, PHR with v 51. If you say that someone would run a mile if faced with something, you mean that they are very frightened of it and would try to avoid it. Yasmin admits she would run a mile if Mark asked her out. PHRASE: V inflects 52. If you say that someone could give someone else a run for their money, you mean you think they are almost as good as the other person. ...a youngster who even now could give Meryl Streep a run for her money. PHRASE: V inflects 53. If someone is on the run, they are trying to escape or hide from someone such as the police or an enemy. Fifteen-year-old Danny is on the run from a local authority home. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v 54. If someone is on the run, they are being severely defeated in a contest or competition. His opponents believe he is definitely on the run... PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 55. If you say that a person or group is running scared, you mean that they are frightened of what someone might do to them or what might happen. The administration is running scared. PHRASE: V inflects 56. If you are running short of something or running low on something, you do not have much of it left. If a supply of something is running short or running low, there is not much of it left. Government forces are running short of ammunition and fuel... We are running low on drinking water... PHRASE: V inflects 57. to run amok: see amok to make your blood run cold: see blood to run counter to something: see counter to run its course: see course to run deep: see deep to run an errand: see errand to run the gamut of something: see gamut to run the gauntlet: see gauntlet to run rings around someone: see ring to run riot: see riot to run a risk: see risk to run to seed: see seed to run wild: see wild