racer

American  

[rey-ser] / ˈreɪ sər /

noun

1. a person, animal, or thing that races or takes part in a race, as a racehorse, bicycle, yacht, etc.

2. anything having great speed.

3. racing skate.

4. a turntable on which a heavy gun is turned.

5. any of several slender, active snakes of the genera Coluber and Masticophis.

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racer British  

/ ˈreɪsə /

noun

1. a person, animal, or machine that races

2. a turntable used to traverse a heavy gun

3. any of several long slender nonvenomous North American snakes of the colubrid genus Coluber and related genera, such as C. lateralis ( striped racer )

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Other Word Forms

• miniracer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of racer

First recorded in 1640–50; race ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

You’ve been an elite ski and bike racer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

“Just the adaptability of a dirt racer really comes in handy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Stolz was the top-ranked racer in the 1,500-meter distance and raced in the final pair.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

While Treacy is an experienced and successful racer in his own right, this - combined with the pressures of the Olympic stage - is another hurdle for him to overcome compared to better funded nations.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

“Oh, oh, that’s Tia Stardust,” said Thorn, pointing at their star racer, her eyes welling up.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• marathoner
• runner
• sprinter