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Synonyms

racer

American  
[rey-ser] / ˈreɪ sər /

noun

  1. a person, animal, or thing that races race 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.

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 )

"Collins 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 Word Forms

  • miniracer noun

Etymology

Origin of racer

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Michaelian was a competitive sports car racer for more than 25 years, competing in endurance events at tracks including Le Mans, Daytona Beach, Nürburgring, Dubai and Sebring in Florida.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Reddick’s versatility, developed as a dirt racer, allows him to adapt to varied tracks, a skill Nascar is designed to prevent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Shiffrin's last Olympic medal was the giant slalom title at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, an eternity for a ski racer of her talent and her record in other competitions.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 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

We ascend the red-carpeted stairs, passing silver sailing trophies and the oil portrait of the hydroplane racer Gar Wood.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.