RUNNER

n. 1 a person who runs, esp. in a race. 2 a a creeping plant-stem that can take root. b a twining plant. 3 a rod or groove or blade on which a thing slides. 4 a sliding ring on a rod etc. 5 a messenger, scout, collector, or agent for a bank etc.; a tout. 6 hist. a police officer. 7 a running bird. 8 a a smuggler. b = blockade-runner. 9 a revolving millstone. 10 Naut. a rope in a single block with one end round a tackle-block and the other having a hook. 11 (in full runner bean) Brit. a twining bean plant, Phaseolus multiflorus, with red flowers and long green seed pods. Also called scarlet runner. 12 each of the long pieces on the underside of a sledge etc. that forms the contact in sliding. 13 a roller for moving a heavy article. 14 a long narrow ornamental cloth or rug. do a runner sl. leave hastily; flee. runner-up (pl. runners-up or runner-ups) the competitor or team taking second place.