roadrunner

[ rohd-ruhn-er ]

/ ˈroʊdˌrʌn ər /

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noun

either of two large terrestrial cuckoos of the genus Geococcyx of arid regions of the western U.S., Mexico, and Central America, especially G. californianus(greater roadrunner ).

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Also called chaparral cock.

Origin of roadrunner

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; road + runner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use roadrunner in a sentence

So I drove around the corner to the trailhead of the logging road that led back to the crash site.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As he drove me back to the logging road, Frank told me about the area in his deep voice.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Shrubs and small trees dot a parched landscape along the road from Turbat to the border.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For many Republicans presidential hopefuls, the road to the nomination passes through the Hawkeye State.
Can This Republican Bring the GOP Back to Its Senses on Immigration?|Tim Mak|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

All the roads into Iraqi Kurdistan and toward Baghdad are closed and now the road toward Syria is also blocked.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What need to look to right or left when you are swallowing up free mile after mile of dizzying road?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
His wife stood smiling and waving, the boys shouting, as he disappeared in the old rockaway down the sandy road.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
She set off down Trafalgar Road in the mist and the rain, glad that she had been compelled to walk.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
The first rail road opened in Brazil, the emperor and empress being present at the inauguration.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The intricacies and abrupt turns in the road separated him from his immediate followers.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for roadrunner

roadrunner

/ (ˈrəʊdˌrʌnə) /

noun

a terrestrial crested bird, Geococcyx californianus, of Central and S North America, having a streaked plumage and long tail: family Cuculidae (cuckoos)Also called: chaparral cock

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