racer

American  

[rey-ser] / ˈreɪ sər /

noun

racers plural

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

Derived Forms

• miniracer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• racers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of racer

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

Example Sentences

Former canoe racer David Hearn is accused of pulling at a layer of peeling sealant used in a renovation project that President Trump had personally championed and later claimed was targeted by vandals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

We published our own magazines, built our own automotive businesses and, for good and bad, promoted our own outlaw street racer image and our own beauty standard.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

Event organisers said six other spectators and the motorbike racer had now been discharged from hospital.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

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

I grabbed the phone like a relay racer taking the baton.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

Related Words

• marathoner
• runner
• sprinter