runner
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹʌnɚ/
ipa: /ˈɹʌnə/
rhymes: -ʌnə(ɹ)
Forms: form: runners
Etymology: From Middle English rennere, rynner, urnare, equivalent to run + -er. Cognate with Old Norse rennari (“runner; messenger”). Displaced earlier Middle English runel (“runner”), from Old English rynel (“runner”; also “messenger, courier”).
Senses: examples: text: The first runner to cross the finish line wins the race.
text: Near-synonym: racer
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.
examples: text: The mare is the stables' runner for the 5.15 race at Epsom.
text: The judge said she would not be a runner in the upcoming elections.
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
Any entrant, person or animal (especially a horse), for a race or any competition; a candidate for an election.
topics: card-games
poker
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A competitor in a poker tournament.
examples: text: […] at least half of which would be put into the pool for the winner, the rest kept for the runners of the system to cover costs and more than likely make a fair profit.
ref: 1998 June 12, Daniel Jonathan Kirk, “tipping competitions”, in aus.legal (Usenet):
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
Somebody who controls or manages (e.g. a system).
examples: text: The gunrunners were arrested leaving the airport.
text: The modus operandi used by the idol and antique runners is to order consignments of fakes.
ref: 1992, Hamendar Bhisham Pal, The Plunder of Art, page 75:
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A person or vessel that runs blockades or engages in smuggling.
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A player who runs for a batsman who is too injured to run; he is dressed exactly as the injured batsman, and carries a bat.
examples: text: The runner was out at second.
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
softball
sports
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A baserunner.
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A person (from one or the other team) who runs out onto the field during the game to take verbal instructions from the coach to the players. A runner mustn't interfere with play, and may have to wear an identifying shirt to make clear his or her purpose on the field.
qualifier: Australian rules football
examples: text: By 1963, Carmine was working as a "runner" for an accounting firm, and he would drop by 1619 Broadway to knock on doors in hopes of selling off some of his songs
ref: 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 242:
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
Anyone sent on an errand or with communications, especially for a bank (or, historically, a foot soldier responsible for carrying messages during war).
examples: text: “Then you divide your army amongst the various houses where restorations are ordered for Jubilee day?” / “Certainly—say one waiter to ten guests—if it was a dinner we should send one waiter to six guests—with runners, of course.” / “Runners?” / “Omnibuses you call them here—young ones—apprentices—who wait on the waiters.” / “Run everywhere, do anything?”
ref: 1897 June 19, “The Jubilee Waiters. Some Words with the Maître d’Hôtel.”, in The Daily News, number 15,984, London, →OCLC, page 2, column 6:
text: […] the chef can send a runner to see why not and if the waiter has forgotten about the order, a runner can cover and serve.
ref: 1989, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, volume 180, page 83:
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A restaurant employee responsible for taking food from the kitchens to the tables.
examples: text: In our prisons you might find a condemned man working as a runner, a trusty, which is about as far from segregation as you can get.
ref: 1959, Frederick S. Baldi, My Unwelcome Guests, page 25:
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A trusty (prisoner granted special privileges).
examples: text: This week hundreds of NFL agents gathered to hear an honorable man talk about a noble pipedream. It was a discussion about a significant step to end one of the cornerstones of corruption in college football: runners. Not the backs getting their 40 times tested at the scouting combine but the slimeball trolls who work on behalf of agents to help recruit — a generous word — football prospects by illegally giving them cash (or cars or money for family members or rent for a nice house) so the player then signs with the agent upon turning pro.
ref: Freeman, Mike (25 February 2012), “Runners' world: Union boss Smith's noble idea likely stuck at the start”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), CBSSports.com, retrieved 19 Mar 2014
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
An employee of a sports agent who tries to recruit possible player clients for the agent.
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
A person hired by a gambling establishment to locate potential customers and bring them in.
synonyms: lugger
picker-up
roper
steerer
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
One who runs away; a deserter or escapee.
topics: broadcasting
film
media
television
glosses: Agent noun of run; one who runs.
An assistant.
examples: text: He did a runner after robbing the drugstore.
text: We were shocked, astonished, when the staff, when pushed, disclosed that they had had to cover runners the previous night. The runners used the scam of ‘smoking’ to go outside after eating and drinking champagne and top-notch wine … and kept walking. And who paid their bill? Staff! Disgusting.
ref: 2018 March 24, Loch Fyne, quotee, “True or false? 'If you do a runner, the waiter has to pay your bill'”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
qualifier: usually in the phrase do a runner
glosses: A quick escape away from a scene; (by extension) the person who gets away.
examples: text: Tess stands by Mr Foley in runners that are bright yellow and exuberant and off-putting.
ref: 2023, Elaine Feeney, How to Build a Boat, Vintage (2024), page 167:
synonyms: sneaker
trainer
glosses: A type of soft-soled shoe originally intended for runners.
glosses: Part of a shoe that is stitched to the bottom of the upper so it can be glued to the sole.
examples: text: After the cycle completes, the runner travels back quickly to be in place for the next cycle.
glosses: A part of an apparatus that moves quickly.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
A smooth strip on which a sledge runs.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
The blade of an ice skate.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
The channel or strip on which a drawer is opened and closed.
examples: text: Maintenance was simplified by making all components easily accessible and easy to remove: for example, the air compressors in the short nose slide out on runners.
ref: 1962 June, “Beyond the Channel: U.S.S.R.: A 3,000 h.p. diesel-hydraulic from MaK”, in Modern Railways, page 416:
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
Part of a mechanism which allows something to be pulled out for maintenance.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
The curved base of a rocking chair.
synonyms: rocker
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
In saddlery, a loop of metal through which a rein is passed.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
In molding, a channel cut in a mold.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
The rotating-stone of a grinding-mill.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
The movable piece to which the ribs of an umbrella are attached.
glosses: A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
A tool in which lenses are fastened for polishing.
examples: text: The car salesman told me that the used Volvo was a nice little runner.
text: Is that old Mercedes on the forecourt a runner? / No, it has no gearbox.
glosses: An automobile; a working or driveable automobile.
examples: text: The red runner makes the table so festive.
glosses: A strip of fabric used to decorate or protect a table or dressing table.
examples: text: Why don't we put down a clear runner in the front hall?
glosses: A long, narrow carpet for a high-traffic area such as a hall or stairs.
glosses: A part of a cigarette that is burning unevenly.
topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
glosses: A long stolon sent out by a plant (such as strawberry), in order to root new plantlets, or a plant that propagates by using such runners.
topics: climbing
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A short sling with a carabiner on either end, used to link the climbing rope to a bolt or other protection such as a nut or friend.
glosses: A leaping food fish (Elagatis pinnulatis) of Florida and the West Indies; the skipjack, shoemaker, or yellowtail.
topics: nautical
sailing
transport
glosses: A rope to increase the power of a tackle.
topics: video-games
glosses: A speedrunner.
examples: text: This idea isn't a runner. Let's not waste any more time on it.
glosses: An idea or plan that has potential to be adopted or put into operation.
examples: text: Don’t Look Up jabs around omnidirectionally, and some of the most gleefully ridiculous jokes land: There’s an inspired runner about an increasingly scandal-plagued Supreme Court nominee, for example, and another in which politicians and voters alike absurdly declare their allegiance to “the jobs the comet will bring.”
ref: 7 December 2021, Jesse Hassenger, “Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence cope with disaster in the despairing satire Don’t Look Up”, in AV Club:
text: The fairy-tale promise of love and intimacy became a runner in Swift’s work as a songwriter, something she’d repeatedly espouse, then skewer; she was self-aware about the role narrative played in her expectations.
ref: 2023 December 6, Sam Lansky, “Person of Year 2023 : Taylor Swift”, in Time, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2023:
glosses: A running gag.
examples: text: A runner, or streamlet, from other woods joined it at this end, and waited in the pool to pass through the grating to the mills.
ref: 1927, Henry Williamson, Tarka the Otter:
glosses: A streamlet.
glosses: A boat for transporting fish, oysters, etc.
Synonyms: topics: climbing
sports
hobbies
lifestyle
sense: a short sling
word: quick-draw
topics: climbing
sports
hobbies
lifestyle
sense: a short sling
word: extender
Derived terms: base runner
bladerunner
blockade runner
blue runner
bookrunner
bull runner
circle runner
cloudrunner
conrunner
designated runner
do a runner
dope-runner
drug runner
endless runner
fell runner
footrunner
fore-runner
forerunner
free runner
front-runner
frontrunner
front runner
gag runner
ghost runner
hit-and-runner
Indian Runner
infinite runner
invisible runner
jayrunner
kite runner
logrunner
midnight runner
nonrunner
non-runner
parkrunner
pinch runner
plug the runner
racerunner
rainbow runner
rat runner
ridge-runner
river-runner
river runner
roadrunner
rockrunner
rope runner
route runner
rumrunner
rum runner
rum-runner
runner bean
runnerless
runner poison
runner-runner
runners and riders
runner's knee
runner stone
runner up
runner-up
sand runner
scarlet runner
showrunner
soak the runner
stonerunner
torch runner
tree runner
treerunner
ultrarunner
underrunner
waverunner
wave-runner
wave runner