# run in
## English
### Adjective

run in (not generally comparable, comparative more run in, superlative most run in)
* Alternative form of run-in (adj) (styled open when in predicative position)
** (participial adjective; editing, typography) (not comparable) Having been run in before or behind previous text.
    Antonym: free-hanging
    These headings are run in because a free-hanging style would just be a waste of column inches.
*** 1956, Daniel Melcher, Nancy Larrick, Printing and Promotion Handbook:One of the best headings for saving space is the heading that is run in.
*** 1976, American Institute of Physics, Editorial Handbook, page 17:Third subheadings begin paragraphs (are indented and run in).
*** 1985 April 16, Charles Anderson, “The Ins and Outs of Indexing”, in PC Mag, volume 4, number 8, page 322:You can select how far you want subentries indented, how many lines between each entry and alphabetical block, and whether you want the final index indented (each sub- and sub-subheading indented under its parent) or run in (subheadings in paragraph form under the main heading).
*** 1987, Rachel Morgan, Henry McGilton, Introducing UNIX System V, page 333:Heading levels 3 through 7 are run in headings — the text that follows the heading appears on the same line as the heading.
*** 2019, Editorial staff, “Guide to Authors”, in Nagoya Journal of Medical Science‎, archived from the original on 2021-12-23:Secondary headings are flush left, in regular type, and capitalized headline style. Tertiary headings are run in at the beginning of a paragraph, in bold type, capitalized sentence style, and followed by a period.
** (participial adjective; mechanical, engineering) (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts.
    Synonym: broken in (adj)
    The engine should be well run in before its heavy working life begins.
*** 1978, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, International Symposium on Theory and Practice in Transport Economics The Contribution of Economic Research to Transport Policy Decisions, page 64:Behaviour patterns now thoroughly "run in", and financial stringencies, appear to impose sharp limits on the prospects of success here.
*** 1978, John E. Bingham, Garth W.P. Davies, A Handbook of Systems Analysis, page 35:In addition to the above, the systems analyst should go on shift with the users for the first few days or longer until the system is thoroughly run in.
*** 1993 December, T.S., “Long-Term Test cars”, in Popular Mechanics, volume 170, number 12, page 112:Now that the engine is thoroughly run in, our overall fuel economy is creeping toward the high 22-mpg range.
*** 2012, Victor W. Page, Early Motorcycles: Construction, Operation and Repair, page 487:Under no circumstances run a new motor at high speed until it has covered several hundred miles and is thoroughly “run in.”

### Noun

run in (plural run ins)
* Alternative spelling of run-in (omitting the hyphens from nouns of this type is nonstandard in formal publications but widely seen in unedited writing)

### Verb

run in (third-person singular simple present runs in, present participle running in, simple past ran in, past participle run in)
* (transitive, informal, chiefly passive voice) To arrest; (especially) to track down and arrest.
    Coordinate term: run down
    The guys who robbed the bank last week have finally been run in.
* (transitive, British) To use new machinery at less than full speed, preventing damage.
    Synonym: break in (transitive sense)
    I have to drive slowly for the first 1,000 miles to run the engine in.
** 1959 February, A. G. Dunbar, “The "Dunalastair I" 4-4-0s of the Caledonian”, in Trains Illustrated, page 87:It was run in by Ranochan of Polmadie on the forenoon slow to Carlisle and the afternoon slow back to the North.
* (figuratively) To start a new regime slowly.
    Synonym: phase in
* (rugby) To score (a try).
** 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎:Toeava went over unopposed to stretch his side's lead but Japan got on the scoreboard on 56 minutes, wing Hirotoki Onozawa intercepting an attempted offload from Slade, who had a rather flaky game, and running in from the All Blacks' 10m line.
* (typography, printing) To insert (a word, etc.) without making a line break or new paragraph (so that it is not free-hanging).
    Coordinate term: run down
    With these subsections, it is better to run their headings in.
* (printing) To alter the position of matter to fill vacant space.
* simple past and past participle of run in

#### References

* (arrest): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary
* “run in”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

### Anagrams

* inrun, inurn