/ ˈrʌnɪŋ; NAmE / noun , adjective
■ noun [ U ]
1.
the action or sport of running :
to go running
running shoes
2.
the activity of managing or operating sth :
the day-to-day running of a business
the running costs of a car (= for example of fuel, repairs, insurance)
3.
-running (in compounds) the activity of bringing sth such as drugs, guns, etc. into a country secretly and illegally :
drug-running
•
IDIOMS
- in / out of the running (for sth)
- make the running
■ adjective
1.
used after a number and a noun such as 'year' 'day' or 'time', to say that sth has happened in the same way several times, without a change :
She's won the championship three years running.
It was the third day running that the train had been late.
No party has won an election four times running.
2.
running water is water that is flowing somewhere or water that is supplied to a building and available to be used through taps / faucets :
I can hear the sound of running water.
a remote cottage without electricity or running water
3.
[ only before noun ] lasting a long time; continuous
SYN ongoing :
For years he had fought a running battle with the authorities over the land.
a running argument
His old raincoat became a running joke (= people kept laughing at it) .
—see also long-running
4.
-running (in compounds) running or flowing in the way mentioned :
a fast-running river
•
IDIOMS
- (go and) take a running jump
—more at order noun