■ verb ( ~s , ~ning , ran ran ; past participle ~ )
1》 move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all feet on the ground at the same time.
↘enter or be entered in a race.
↘(of hounds) chase or hunt their quarry.
↘(of a boat) sail straight and fast directly before the wind.
↘(of a migratory fish) go upriver from the sea in order to spawn.
2》 move about in a hurried and hectic way.
3》 pass or cause to pass: Helen ran her fingers through her hair.
↘move forcefully: the tanker ran aground.
↘ informal fail to stop at (a red traffic light).
↘ chiefly N. Amer. navigate (rapids or a waterfall) in a boat.
4》 flow or cause to flow.
↘cause water to flow over.
↘emit or exude a liquid: her nose was ~ning.
↘(of dye or colour) dissolve and spread when wet.
5》 (of a bus, train, etc.) make a regular journey on a particular route.
↘transport in a car: I'll ~ you home.
6》 be in charge of; manage or organize.
↘continue, operate, or proceed: everything's ~ning according to plan.
↘own, maintain, and use (a vehicle).
7》 function or cause to function.
8》 ( ~ in ) (of a quality or trait) be common or inherent in.
9》 stand as a candidate.
10》 pass into or reach a specified state or level.
11》 chiefly N. Amer. (of a stocking or pair of tights) develop a ladder.
12》 publish or be published in a newspaper or magazine.
13》 smuggle (goods).
14》 N. Amer. informal cost (someone) (a specified amount).
■ noun
1》 an act or spell of ~ning.
↘a ~ning pace.
↘an annual mass migration of fish up or down a river.
2》 a journey or route.
↘a short excursion made in a car.
3》 a spell of producing, proceeding, or operating: a ~ of bad luck.
↘a continuous stretch or length of something.
↘a rapid series of musical notes.
↘a sequence of cards of the same suit.
4》 ( a ~ on ) a widespread and sudden demand for: a big ~ on nostalgia toys.
5》 a course or track made or regularly used: a ski ~.
6》 ( the ~ ) the average or usual type: she stood out from the general ~ of Tory women.
7》 Cricket a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to ~ between the wickets.
↘ Baseball a point scored by the batter returning to home plate after touching the bases.
8》 an enclosed area in which animals or birds may ~ freely in the open.
↘( the ~ of ) free and unrestricted use of or access to somewhere.
↘ Austral./NZ a large open stretch of land used for pasture or livestock.
9》 a ladder in stockings or tights.
10》 a downward trickle of liquid.
11》 a small stream or brook.
12》 ( the ~s ) informal diarrhoea.
13》 Nautical the after part of a ship's bottom where it rises and narrows towards the stern.
Phrases
be ~ off one's feet be extremely busy.
a ( good ) ~ for one's money
1》 challenging competition or opposition.
2》 reward or enjoyment in return for one's efforts.
on the ~
1》 escaping from arrest.
2》 while ~ning or moving.
~ before one can walk attempt something difficult before one has grasped the basic skills.
~ dry
1》 (of a well or river) cease to flow or have any water.
2》 (of a supply) be completely used up.
( make a ) ~ for it attempt to escape by ~ning away.
~ foul (or chiefly N. Amer. afoul ) of
1》 Nautical collide or become entangled with.
2》 come into conflict with.
~ into the sand come to nothing.
~ low (or short ) (of a supply) become depleted.
~ off at the mouth N. Amer. informal talk excessively or indiscreetly.
~ a temperature be suffering from a high temperature.
~ someone/thing to ground (or Brit. earth ) Hunting chase a quarry to its lair.
↘ Brit. find someone or something after a long search.
Phrasal verbs
~ across meet or find by chance.
~ after informal pursue persistently.
~ along informal go away.
~ away
1》 take flight; escape.
2》 try to avoid facing up to danger or difficulty.
~ away with
1》 escape the control of: Susan's imagination was ~ning away with her.
2》 win (a competition or prize) easily.
~ something by (or past ) tell (someone) about something, in order to obtain an opinion or reaction.
~ someone/thing down
1》 (of a vehicle) hit and knock over a person or animal.
2》 criticize someone or something unfairly or unkindly.
3》 discover someone or something after a search.
4》 (also ~ down ) reduce or become reduced in size or resources.
5》 lose or cause to lose power; stop or cause to stop functioning.
6》 gradually deteriorate.
~ someone in informal arrest someone.
~ something in Brit. use something new in such a way as not to make maximum demands upon it.
~ into
1》 collide with.
↘meet by chance.
2》 experience (a difficulty).
~ off informal escape; abscond.
~ something off
1》 produce a copy on a machine.
2》 write or recite something quickly and with little effort.
3》 drain liquid from a container.
~ on continue without stopping; go on longer than is expected.
~ out
1》 use up or be used up.
2》 become no longer valid.
3》 (of rope) be paid out.
4》 extend; project.
~ someone out Cricket dismiss a batsman by dislodging the bails with the ball while the batsman is still ~ning.
~ over
1》 overflow.
2》 exceed (a limit).
~ someone/thing over knock down a person or animal in a vehicle.
~ someone through stab a person so as to kill them.
~ through (or over ) go over quickly or briefly as a rehearsal or reminder.
~ to
1》 extend to or reach.
2》 show a tendency towards.
~ something up
1》 allow a bill, score, etc. to accumulate.
2》 make something quickly or hurriedly.
3》 raise a flag.
~ up against experience or meet (a difficulty).
~ with proceed with; accept.
Derivatives
~nable adjective
Origin
OE rinnan , irnan (v.), of Gmc origin; the current form with -u- is first recorded in the 16th cent.