runner

[ ruhn-er ]

/ ˈrʌn ər /

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See synonyms for: runner / runners on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person, animal, or thing that runs, especially as a racer.

a messenger.

a messenger of a bank or brokerage house.

Baseball. base runner.

Football. the ball-carrier.

a person whose business it is to solicit patronage or trade.

a person acting as collector, agent, or the like, for a bank, broker, etc.

something in or on which something else runs or moves.

either of the long, bladelike strips of metal or wood on which a sled or sleigh slides.

the blade of an ice skate.

the rotating system of blades driven by the fluid passing through a reaction turbine.

the rotating member of a pair of millstones.Compare bed stone.

a roller on which something moves along.

Furniture.

a sliding piece, as a loper.
rocker (def. 1).

an operator or manager, as of a machine.

a long, narrow rug, suitable for a hall or passageway.

a long, narrow strip of line, embroidery, lace, or the like, placed across a table.

Botany.

a slender stolon that runs along the surface of the ground and sends out roots and leaves at the nodes, as in the strawberry.
a plant that spreads by such stems.

Metallurgy. any of the channels through which molten metal flows.

a smuggler.

a vessel engaged in smuggling.

a person who takes, transmits, and often pays off bets for a bookmaker or a numbers pool.

Ichthyology. a jurel, Caranx crysos, inhabiting waters from Cape Cod to Brazil.

Building Trades. a horizontal longitudinal timber resting upon the uprights of a staging and supporting the footing pieces.

Theater. a piece of carpet or matting placed in the wings for deadening offstage sounds.

a tackle or part of a tackle consisting of a line rove through a single block and fixed at one end.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of runner

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at run, -er¹

Words nearby runner

Runjeet Singh, runless, runlet, run like clockwork, runnel, runner, runner bean, runner foot, runner's high, runner-up, running

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use runner in a sentence

For instance, neck gaiters are especially popular among runners.
4 reasons you shouldn’t trash your neck gaiter based on the new mask study|Jonathan Lambert|August 12, 2020|Science News
It is also home to the Charlotte Rail Trail, which is popular with runners, walkers, and cyclists.
Charlotte : Celebrating Diversity in the Queen City|LGBTQ-Editor|August 11, 2020|No Straight News
Zwift isn’t brand-new—it’s been around for a few years—and it markets itself as a training app for cyclists, runners, and triathletes.
The Tour de France Is Going Virtual, and It Starts This Weekend|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|July 2, 2020|Singularity Hub
Then her team could also test just how well it would thwart would-be runners.
Physicists foil classic oobleck science trick|Emily Conover|June 9, 2020|Science News For Students

True, runners risk stepping into another person’s cloud of exhaled air.
Six foot social-distancing will not always be enough for COVID-19|Tina Hesman Saey|April 23, 2020|Science News For Students
“I put on a dress and walked down, and ended up getting first runner-up,” she recalls.
The Making of Kiesza: From Navy Sharpshooter to Beauty Queen to Pop Diva|Marlow Stern|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Runner-Up: Pauline Etienne, Eden I could not take my eyes off this immensely talented Belgian actress.
Oscar Season Kicks Off in Toronto: Channing Tatum, Kristen Stewart, and More Court Awards Glory|Marlow Stern|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In April, Wehby was the front-runner; now, she is trailing badly and Oregon is safely in the D column.
What Do Women Want? Not the GOP|Lloyd Green|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was smart and tough in the way of the hard worker, the long-distance runner, the gambler who wins on stamina.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters|Alex Belth|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One runner in Houston now has a permanent, hoof-shaped scar in the center of his forehead.
Chicago’s Running of the Bulls|Hampton Stevens|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To talk German was beyond the sweep of my dizziest ambition, but an Italian runner or porter instantly presented himself.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
And since he was a very fast runner—for short distances—he met Grandfather Mole just as the old chap was crawling up the bank.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
He would be staggering, half blind with exhaustion—like a runner at the end of a long race, with a rival close at his heels.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
Finally a swift runner reached the watch-tower, whence the old king looked forth, awaiting news of the day.
Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 3 of 8|Various
Peter could feel it pound as if he had been a mile runner and the finish lay a hundred yards ahead of him.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun

British Dictionary definitions for runner

runner

/ (ˈrʌnə) /

noun

a person who runs, esp an athlete

a messenger for a bank or brokerage firm

an employee of an art or antique dealer who visits auctions to bid on desired lots

a person engaged in the solicitation of business

a person on the run; fugitive

a person or vessel engaged in smuggling; smuggler
(in combination)a rum-runner

a person who operates, manages, or controls something

either of the strips of metal or wood on which a sledge runs
the blade of an ice skate

a roller or guide for a sliding component

a channel through which molten material enters a casting or moulding

the rotating element of a water turbine

another name for running belay

any of various carangid fishes of temperate and tropical seas, such as Caranx crysos (blue runner) of American Atlantic waters

botany

a slender stem with very long internodes, as of the strawberry, that arches down to the ground and propagates by producing roots and shoots at the nodes or tip
a plant that propagates in this way

a strip of lace, linen, etc, placed across a table, dressing table, etc for protection and decoration

a narrow rug or carpet, as for a passage

another word for rocker (def. 3)

do a runner slang to run away in order to escape trouble or to avoid paying for something

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

Scientific definitions for runner

runner

[ rŭn′ər ]

A slender stem that grows horizontally and puts down roots to form new plants. Strawberries spread by runners. Also called stolon Compare bulb corm rhizome tuber.

runner

Origin of runner

Words nearby runner

Words related to runner

How to use runner in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for runner

Scientific definitions for runner