running
the act of a person, animal, or thing that runs.
managing or directing: the running of a business.
an act or instance of racing: the 113th running of the Kentucky Derby.
the condition of a track or surface to be run or raced on: Our track team had muddy running today.
the amount, quality, or type of a liquid flow.
galloping, racing, moving, or passing rapidly.
(of a horse)
going or proceeding rapidly at the gait of a gallop.
taught to proceed at a gallop.
creeping or climbing, as plants: a running vine.
moving or proceeding easily or smoothly.
moving when pulled or hauled, as a rope.
slipping or sliding easily, as a knot or a noose.
operating or functioning, as a machine.
(of measurement) linear; straight-line.
cursive, as handwriting.
flowing, as a stream.
liquid or fluid.
prevalent, as a condition or state: running prices.
going or carried on continuously; sustained: a running commentary.
extending or repeated continuously: a running pattern.
performed with or during a run: a running leap.
discharging pus or other matter: a running sore.
Nautical. noting any of various objects or assemblages of objects that may be moved in ordinary use: running bowsprit;running gaff.
Nautical, Machinery.
noting any block of a tackle that moves.
noting the part of the fall of a tackle that moves through the blocks (opposed to standing).
in succession; consecutively: He slept badly for three nights running.
Idioms about running
in the running,
participating or entered as a competitor.
under consideration as a candidate or possible choice: Who is still in the running for the directorship?
among the winners or those making a good showing.
out of the running,
not competing in a contest or race.
not among the winners or runners-up in a contest or race: to finish out of the running.
Origin of running
1Other words from running
- well-running, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use running in a sentence
But a la the premise often inferred by Disney's Cool Runnings, can anybody do it?
Is It Really That Easy to be an Olympic Bobsledder? | Kevin Fixler | January 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTYou can thank Brit Gillian Cooke for making bobsledding cool for the first time since Cool Runnings came out in 1993.
Youth will be served;” no sedulous care could compensate for the exuberance of “the first sprightly runnings.
The Puzzle of Dickens's Last Plot | Andrew LangThe small fraction that comes over up to this temperature constitutes what the tar-distiller calls “first runnings.”
Coal | Raphael MeldolaBodies drifting carelessly up and down the street broke into runnings.
Erik Dorn | Ben Hecht
Bethink you then that this order applies to war but not to challenges, spear-runnings, knightly exchanges or the like.
Sir Nigel | Arthur Conan DoyleThe “first runnings” are now “washed” in various ways, of which we shall describe one of the best.
British Dictionary definitions for running
/ (ˈrʌnɪŋ) /
maintained continuously; incessant: a running battle; running commentary
(postpositive) without interruption; consecutive: he lectured for two hours running
denoting or relating to the scheduled operation of a public vehicle: the running time of a train
accomplished at a run: a running jump
(of a knot) sliding along the rope from which it is made, so as to form a noose which becomes smaller when the rope is pulled
(of a wound, sore, etc) discharging pus or a serous fluid
denoting or relating to operations for maintenance: running repairs
prevalent; current: running prices
repeated or continuous: a running design
(of certain plants, plant stems, etc) creeping along the ground
flowing: running water
(of handwriting) having the letters run together
management or organization: the running of a company
operation or maintenance: the running of a machine
competition or a competitive situation (in the phrases in the running, out of the running)
make the running to set the pace in a competition or race
rare the power or ability to run
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with running
In addition to the idioms beginning with running
- running on empty
- running start
also see:
- hit the ground running
- in the running
- meter is running
- off and running
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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