/run"euhr up"/ , n. , pl. runners-up .
1. the competitor, player, or team finishing in second place, as in a race, contest, or tournament.
2. runners-up , the competitors who do not win a contest but who place ahead of the majority of the contestants and share in prizes or honors, as those who place second, third, and fourth, or in the top ten.
[ 1835-45 ]