RACE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ras, from Old Norse rās; akin to Old English rǣs rush Date: 14th century the act of running, 2. a strong or rapid current of water flowing through a narrow channel, a watercourse used industrially, the current flowing in such a course, 3. a set course or duration of time, the course of life, 4. a contest of speed, a meeting in which several ~s (as for horses) are run, a contest or rivalry involving progress toward a goal , a track or channel in which something rolls or slides, II. verb (~d; racing) Date: 15th century intransitive verb to compete in a ~, to go, move, or function at top speed or out of control , to revolve too fast under a diminished load, transitive verb to engage in a ~ with, 2. to enter in a ~, to drive or ride at high speed, to transport or propel at maximum speed, to speed (as an engine) without a working load or with the transmission disengaged, III. noun Etymology: Middle French, generation, from Old Italian razza Date: 1580 a breeding stock of animals, 2. a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock, a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics , 3. an actually or potentially interbreeding group within a species, breed , a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits, inherited temperament or disposition, distinctive flavor, taste, or strength