errand
a short and quick trip to accomplish a specific purpose, as to buy something, deliver a package, or convey a message, often for someone else.
the purpose of such a trip: He finished his errands.
a special mission or function entrusted to a messenger; commission.
Origin of errand
1Other words for errand
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use errand in a sentence
If you have to run some errands, you can also put yourself in a room that says you’re not there — those rooms can act as a status.
Teemyco creates virtual offices so you can grab a room and talk with colleagues | Romain Dillet | September 4, 2020 | TechCrunchI run lots of errands on two wheels, but my townie is an ancient converted mountain bike with a standard rear rack.
Do You Want to Buy an E-Cargo Bike? Read This First. | Joe Lindsey | August 30, 2020 | Outside OnlineYou can also help get your pets back on schedule by running errands around when you’d leave the house for work, instead of some random point in the day.
How to help your pet with separation anxiety | Sara Kiley Watson | August 26, 2020 | Popular-ScienceCurated by us to help you get through the trying times in the middle of the week, it’s also the perfect soundtrack for running errands or lounging around the house.
When you do go out on an errand, wear a face covering and get your business done as fast as you can.
The CDC Now Recommends Wearing A Mask In Some Cases – A Physician Explains Why And When To Wear One | LGBTQ-Editor | April 12, 2020 | No Straight News
She used her time off work to run errands and catch up with friends.
A day running errands in public can involve multiple strangers asking invasive questions about her body and her abilities.
Disabled Woman Tackles the Dating Site Trolls | Elizabeth Heideman | August 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“He had money trouble,” said Sam Gambir, 47, who would pay Alexis to run errands for him from time to time.
Friends Say Aaron Alexis Was Into Buddhism for the Thai Women | Pete Freedman | September 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThree dogs trotted around the house throughout the day, hopping in the car with Mr. and Mrs. Russell on occasion to do errands.
‘She Knew Nothing’: Meet the Bomber’s Widow, Raising the Bomber’s Daughter | Lizzie Crocker | April 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe former VP candidate looked rail thin as she ran errands with her daughter Willow in Studio City.
Sarah Palin Debuts Makeover in Los Angeles Looks Scary Thin and Dyed Hair | Isabel Wilkinson | October 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIt made me smile to remember how mature Patsy had been when I meekly ran her errands and gladly wore her yoke in the old days.
A Virginia Scout | Hugh PendexterEverything and anything he tried, running errands, and even going with the van to solicit material for the following day's meals.
The Underworld | James C. WelshHe cuts the wood, builds the fires, and runs the errands; just a lackey boy, and is still just that.
David Lannarck, Midget | George S. HarneyUp and abroad, doing very many errands to my great content which lay as burdens upon my mind and memory.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete | Samuel PepysYou hear the other domestics going and coming: orders are given and recalled, errands are well or ill performed.
The Petty Troubles of Married Life, Complete | Honore de Balzac
British Dictionary definitions for errand
/ (ˈɛrənd) /
a short trip undertaken to perform a necessary task or commission (esp in the phrase run errands)
the purpose or object of such a trip
Origin of errand
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with errand
see fool's errand; run an errand.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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