| 释义 |
runner|ˈrʌnə(r)|
Forms: 1 -iornere, -irnere; 4 urnare; 4 rener, 4–5 rennere (5 -are), 4–6, 9 dial. renner (5 -ar); 5 rynner, 5–7 rynnar, 6, 9 Sc. and dial. rinner; 6 ronner, rouner, runnor, 7 runer, 6– runner.
[f. run v. + -er1. Cf. Fris. rinner, rinder, MDu. renner, runner (Du. renner), MLG. renner, ronner, G. renner, MSw. rennare, rinnare, ON. rennari. In OE. recorded only in fore-iornere fore-runner.]
I.
1. a. One who runs; a racer.
c1325Chron. Eng. 900 in Ritson Metr. Rom. II. 307 He wes cleped Harefot, For he wes urnare god. 1382Wyclif 2 Sam. ii. 18 Ceertis Asahel was a moost swift renner. c1400Poem on ix Commandm. (MS. Laud 416 fol. 3), Fle farre from besy tungges as bytter as gall, And rynnars to howsis where good ale is. c1440Promp. Parv. 297/1 Lepare, or rennare, cursor. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, ii. iii. 1 Fore⁓spent with Toile, as Runners with a Race. 1671Milton Samson 1324 Have they not..ev'ry sort Of Gymnic Artists, Wrestlers, Riders, Runners? 1792Brook Precious Remedies 165 God loves the runner, not the questioner. 1833J. Nyren Cricketer's Tutor 80 He was a fine batter, a fine field, and the swiftest runner I ever remember. 1868Morris Earthly Par. (1870) I. i. 110 And there two runners did the sign abide Foot set to foot.
b. With advs., as runner-about, runner-away.
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 199 None renneris aboute, Ne no leperis ouer lond. c1386Chaucer Friar's T. Prol. 19 A sompnour is a renner up and doun With maundementz for fornicacioun. c1440Promp. Parv. 297/1 Lepare, or rennar a-wey, fugax, fugitivus. 1451J. Capgrave Life St. Aug. (E.E.T.S.) 38 Ȝe be renners a-boute þe cyte; and þei fle þe sith of men. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 83 b, The Frenchmen knowyng by these good runners away of ye erles approchyng. 1574G. Baker Compos. Oleum Magistrale fol. 43 Among the common Runners about (which use to cut for the stone and Ruptures) is used a great abuse. 1647Hexham i, A runner after, een na-looper. 1736Ainsworth Eng.-Lat. Dict., A runner forth, excursor. 1848Dickens Dombey xxxii, You conspirators, and hiders, and runners-away, should know better than that.
†c. A wandering person; a vagabond. Obs.
1574G. Baker Compos. Oleum Magistrale fol. 44 Such is the covetouse desire of these Runners. 1575–6Durh. Deposit. (Surtees) 270 As for Lawson he is but a runner, of no honestie or credit, being a maker of strawe hatts, seves, and riddles, goinge frome town to town.
d. N. Amer. One who chases or hunts buffalo. Now Hist. Cf. run v. 42 a.
1837W. Irving Captain Bonneville I. xvii. 286 ‘It was a beautiful sight,’ says the captain, ‘to see the runners, as they are called, advancing in column, at a slow trot, until within two hundred and fifty yards of the outskirts of the herd, then dashing on at full speed, until lost in the immense multitude of buffaloes.’ Ibid. II. xi. 173 The ‘runners’, then, as they are called, mounted on fleet horses, and armed with bows and arrows, moved slowly and cautiously toward the buffalo. 1974Publishers Weekly 11 Mar. 46/2 The early buffalo runners (hunters).
e. Baseball. = base runner s.v. base n.1 20 b.
1845[see balk n.1 5 b]. 1857Spirit of Times 7 Feb. 372/3 Mr. Thos. Leavy..mans the first base, and rare it is, that a runner reaches the first base, if the ball is passed up quickly. 1948Lawton (Oklahoma) Constitution 4 July 12/2 If the pitcher doesn't keep the runners close to base, the best catcher in baseball can't throw them out.
f. Cricket. One who runs on behalf of a disabled batsman. (Cf. run v. 1 h.)
1862J. Pycroft Cricket Tutor 4 Having the luck to be lamed by a sprain, I was allowed a runner. 1908W. E. W. Collins Leaves from Old Country Cricketer's Diary xiii. 219 Once, then, only in my life have I acted as runner for another batsman. 1971Times 16 Feb. 7/6 His knee is stiff..and unless it improves he may need the help of a runner.
g. N. Amer. One who runs ahead of a dog-sledge in order to find or clear a path in snow.
1867Ann. Rept. Smithsonian Inst. 1866 309 The man was a famous runner, and despite the disadvantage of small tripping snow-shoes..he would have reached the houses before them had not the line that confined the snow-shoe on his foot broken. 1921Beaver (Winnipeg) June 27/2 The ‘runner's’ duty is to travel in front of the dogs picking out and breaking the trail. It is also his duty to clear away with an axe any trees which may have been blown across the road. 1930L. Munday Mounty's Wife iv. 60 [We] were making a trip..without a runner (that is, an Indian guide who goes ahead of the dogs to break trail). 1971T. Boulanger Indian Remembers 62 From Norway House..the runner was Old John Clark... In Berens River..the runner was Donald Bittern.
†2. A fugitive; a deserter. Obs.
c1440Promp. Parv. 429/2 Rennare, or vnstable a-bydare, fugitivus, fugitiva. 1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. vii. 14 Let vs score their backes,..'Tis sport to maul a Runner. c1624in Capt. Smith's Wks. (Arb.) II. 473 If I finde any more runners for Newfoundland with the Pinnace, let him assuredly looke to arriue at the Gallows.
3. a. One who carries messages on foot or horseback; a messenger, courier, errand-bearer; a scout. Also used to designate one whose employment also involves the fetching and carrying of articles; an assistant; spec. in U.S. prison terminology, a prisoner entrusted with special duties; Mil. an orderly; a soldier who carries messages, esp. along the front line.
a1300Cursor M. 7679 Son to þe king tald was it sua, And his reners he þeder send For to rauis dauid he wend. 1382Wyclif Ezek. vii. 22 Foule men, or renners [L. emissarii], shulen entre in to it, and shulen defoule it. 1511–2Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IV. 262 To Finlay, rynnar, to by him sarkis..xiiij s. 1517Love's Bonavent. Mirr. (W. de W.) x, The space of xiiij or xv dayes iourney of a comyn renner. 1611Bible 1 Kings xiv. 27 Rehoboam..committed them vnto the hands of the chiefe of the guard [margin runners]. 1686tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 258 They generally send a Runner along with 'em to bring the Horses back. 1727Swift Wks. (1841) II. 609 It would have been wiser to direct it to Tonson or Lintot, to whom I believe his lodgings are better known than to the runners of the post-office. 1800Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1837) I. 105, I have..ordered Colonel Torfrey, fourthly, to post runners from his camp to Oustara. 18305th Ann. Rep. Boston Prison Discipline Soc. 7 [At the Charlestown prison] there is, however, a class of men, consisting of ten or twelve, called runners and lumpers, whose duty consists in moving about the yard. 1850Thackeray Pendennis xxxii, The same little runner who had brought Shandon's note. 1877A. B. Edwards Up Nile viii. 214 The Egyptian and Nubian mails are carried by runners stationed at distances of four miles all along the route. 1912T. Dreiser Financier lxvi. 679 Some of the prisoners, after long service were used as ‘trusties’ or ‘runners’, as they were locally called; but not many. 1917G. S. Gordon Let. 13 Feb. (1943) 69, I was searching for the Hqs. of a Battn. and there wasn't a living soul above ground to ask except myself and my runner. 1929R. C. Sherriff Journey's End iii. iii. 116 Stanhope sits at the table and begins to write a short report... Stanhope calls ‘Runner!’ as he writes. A soldier comes from the servants' dug-out. 1933Sun (Baltimore) 17 Apr. 14/4 Clifton had been assigned to the odd-jobs duties of a ‘runner’ on the first floor of the south wing, where both his and Kellam's cells were located. 1960J. Grant Come again, Nurse xxvii. 180 The theatre runner opened the doors and said quietly: ‘Mr. Spindells has arrived, sir.’ 1974Guidelines to Volunteer Services (N.Y. State Dept. Correctional Services) 43 Runner, inmate whose job is to deliver things around the prison. 1976F. Warner Killing Time i. i. 6 I'd sooner be in the assembly trench waiting to go over the top than a runner. 1976‘W. Trevor’ Children of Dynmouth v. 100 Mrs Abigail took round Meals on Wheels with Miss Poraway as her assistant, or runner, as the title officially was.
†b. One employed as spy to a gambling-den, band of thieves, etc. Obs.
1726Bailey, Runner (of a Gaming House), one who is to get Intelligence of the Meetings of the Justices, and when the Constables are out. 1762Foote Liar i, Runner to a gaming-table and bully to a bawdy-house. 1776Ann. Reg. 178 The runner to a set of sharpers..was convicted..at Westminster... The rest of the gang were lucky enough to escape.
c. One employed or acting as a collector, agent, or intelligencer for a bank, broker, † government, † newspaper, bookmaker, etc. (Cf. quots.)
(a)1768–74Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) I. 621 The directors of the bank above have constant intelligence from all parts of the universe, and their runners traversing to and fro among their customers. 1834Laws of Alabama 46 The following salaries shall be paid to the officers in the bank of the State of Alabama and its several branches, to wit:..to the runner of the branch at Mobile, six hundred dollars per annum. 1884Pall Mall G. 17 June 5/1 Bill-brokers complain that their runners are unable to obtain bills from the merchants as freely as usual. 1894Daily News 29 Oct. 7/7 A ‘runner’ was a person who, not being himself upon the Stock Exchange, introduced business into the office of a member of that body for the sake of himself getting a share in the commission earned.
(b)1777Burke Corr. (1844) II. 205 One of the runners of government in the city,—a tool of Harley. 1810Ann. Reg. 3 In spite of all the runners and dependents of administration, that general would be always revered. 1824Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) II. 52 The pitiful propensity which exists among Government runners to vent their small spite.
(c)1785Crabbe Newspaper 291 For this their runners ramble day and night, To drag each lurking deed to open light. 1833Fraser's Mag. VIII. 471 In one man we recognise a sub-editor of the Globe,..in another the runner of one of the Times reporters.
(d)1902Scotsman 21 Jan. 8/3 Stiles..was in the employment of..a bookmaker{ddd}Stiles acted as his ‘runner’. That was to say, he went about to find out what the betting was.
d. A police officer. Also Bow-street runner (see Bow-street) and police-runner (see police n. 6). Now only Hist.
1771Gentl. Mag. XLI. 230 Peter Murphy and Silas Goddard were tried for the wilful murder of John Atwood, one of the Runners of Clerkenwell Bridewell. 1838[see Bow-street]. 1848Kingsley Yeast iii, I'd sooner be a sheriff's runner, or a negro slave. 1877E. Leigh Chesh. Gloss. s.v., The runners want him.
e. One whose business it is to solicit custom for a hotel, tradesman, etc.; a tout. Also spec. one who provides custom for a lawyer. orig. U.S.
1824Microscope (Albany, N.Y.) 21 Feb. 183/3 Our wholesale property-speculators and their gentry in livery, called runners. 1836C. R. Gilman Life on Lakes I. 31 [At Oswego] a struggle began between the runners of the two boats. 1840R. H. Dana Bef. Mast xxxvi, The landlords, runners, and sharks in Ann Street learned that there was a rich prize for them down in the bay. 1883Harper's Mag. Nov. 814/1 The runners for several livery-stables offered to provide special transportation. 1899F. T. Bullen Log Sea-waif 337 The enterprising boatman was the runner for a Falmouth tailor. 1948Chelsea (Massachusetts) Record 30 Nov. 8/7 Unethical lawyers, plus their hired ‘runners’, probation officers, jail attaches and police officers were ‘selling’ justice in the courthouse corridors to ignorant criminal defendants. 1951Life 25 June 119/1 [They] employed 15 runners to give school children free samples of heroin and ridicule those who wouldn't try it as ‘squares’. 1974Times 21 Jan. 6/6 If there is a car crash, one of the first people on the scene is likely to be a ‘runner’, who has heard about it by tuning in to police radio frequencies. He will point out that the victim needs a lawyer immediately, and will sign him up with one on the spot.
f. A freelance antique dealer.
1969R. Quest Cerberus Murders xxviii. 153 He was a free-lance—the trade term is ‘runner’—picking up antiquities here and there and selling them at a profit. 1976G. Sims End of Web. xii. 86 Klein is a sort of runner..buys things in the country and sells them to West End dealers. 1978Observer 16 Apr. 38/3 There are ‘runners’ going from shop to shop, detecting the margin of a bargain and taking the merchandise one step nearer to Bond Street.
4. a. A horse capable of running well; a good roadster or racer; a horse taking part in a race.
1582N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. lxiii. 129 b, Alonso de Alburquerque, and Antonio del Campo,..presented him with..two horses out of Persia, the which were great runners. 1655L. Thetford Perfect Horseman 24 Every horse for the wars may be train'd for a Runner or Hunter at pleasure. 1697Vanbrugh æsop i. iv. ii, Your worship has six coach-horses (cut and long tail), two runners, half-a-dozen hunters. 1815Sporting Mag. XLVI. 118, I knew in their day, runners of fair repute, and as well bred as any horses upon earth. 1887Daily News 8 July 6/2 Half a dozen runners only contested the Chesterfield Stakes.
b. N. Amer. A horse trained for hunting buffalo. Now Hist. (Cf. sense 1 d above.)
1858J. Palliser Jrnl. 31 July (1863) 90 Breakfast finished, our ‘runners’ saddled and mounted, the whole party moved slowly on... Having ascended the slightly elevated ridge we then beheld our game, four or five thousand buffalo. 1971J. McDougall Parsons on Plains viii. 63 From all parts of the camp riders came forth, many of them leading their runners, so as to have them as fresh as possible for the coming race.
c. transf. A roadworthy motor vehicle; phr. good runner, a motor vehicle which runs well.
1948Partridge Dict. Forces' Slang 1939–1945 159 Runner, a vehicle that was in running order, as opposed to one that was off the road. 1972Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner 3 Nov. 23/7 (Advt.), '67 Chrysler Newport, stick shift, winterized, a good runner. $750. 1975Drive Spring 40/2 We were asked to collect a car from a chap who had stripped it to service an identical second car... We found a car standing in the drive. So naturally we took it. But it was the runner we towed away. The wreck was in the garage. 1978Cornish Guardian 27 Apr. 22 (Advt.), Peugeot 204 Saloon. Sun roof. Good runner.
5.
†a. A domestic fowl allowed to range freely.
c1540Househ. Ordin. (1790) 221 Prices of all kindes of Poultry-stuff—Ronners, the piece, 2d. 1601Holland Pliny I. 297 That no man should haue his table serued with any foule, vnlesse it were one hen, and no more, and the same a runner only, and not fed vp and crammed fat.
b. The water-rail, Rallus aquaticus; also dial. the land-rail; † (see also quots. 1668 and 1774).
1668Charleton Onomast. 97 Trochilus,..the Trochilus, or fin-footed Runner. Ibid. 107 Erythropus, Ralla Aquatica, the Runner. 1678Ray Willughby's Ornith. 315 The Velvet Runner, Gallinula Serica. Perchance the same with the precedent [i.e. the water-rail]. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1824) II. 375 To this bird of the crane kind so little known, I will add another still less known—the Corrira, or Runner of Aldrovandus. 1862Johns Brit. Birds Index, Runner, the Water Rail. 1893in Cozens-Hardy Broad Norf. 46 Runners, Land and Water Rails.
c. A bird belonging to the order Cursores.
1870H. A. Nicholson Man. Zool. lxviii. (1875) 530 The third order of Birds is that of the Cursores, or Runners.
d. Ent. A member of the sub-order Cursoria of orthopterous insects.
1840Penny Cycl. XVII. 43/2 Latreille divides the order Orthoptera into two sections, to which he applies the names Cursoria and Saltatoria, or runners and jumpers. 1882Cassell's Nat. Hist. VI. 121 These true Orthoptera may be readily divided into three tribes.., namely, the Leapers, or Saltatoria; the Runners, or Cursoria; and the Earwigs, or Euplexoptera.
e. Any of several carangid fishes found in tropical or temperate seas, esp. Elagatis pinnulatus, Caranx crysos (= hardtail a), or C. ruber.
1876Goode Fishes of Bermudas 15 Subjoined is a list of names in use among the fishermen, to the application of which I can give no clew:—..Runner. 1884[see shoemaker 2 a]. 1888Goode Amer. Fishes 234 The Runner, Elagatis pinnulatus, known at Key West as ‘Skipjack’ or ‘Runner’, and at Pensacola as ‘Yellow-tail’ or ‘Shoemaker’. 1902[see hardtail a]. 1905D. S. Jordan Guide Study of Fishes II. xvii. 272 Most like the true mackerel are the ‘leather-jackets’, or ‘runners’, forming the genera Scomberoides and Oligoplites. 1913C. F. Holder Game Fishes of World xxii. 211 There are a number of smaller allied fishes which are game in every sense, if taken with appropriate tackle, as the Runner (Caranx crysos). 1952L. L. Mowbray in J. O. La Gorce Bk. Fishes (rev. ed.) 210 The runner (bottom—Caranx ruber) ranges throughout the West Indies and Florida, and strays northward along the southern United States. Ibid., The runner and other jacks are the terror of small fishes. 1966Leim & Scott Fishes Atlantic Coast of Canada 247 Blue runner. Caranx crysos (Mitchill). Ibid. 248 Although there are few actual records it is believed that the blue runner occurs sparingly along the Nova Scotian coast in the late summer months. 1975J. G. Walls Fishes Northern Gulf of Mexico 201 Rainbow runner. Elagatis bipinnulata (Quoy & Gaimard)... A popular sportfish which is not uncommon offshore.
f. U.S. A black snake, the racer, Coluber constrictor.
1795T. Todd Let. Feb. in S. Williams Nat. & Civil Hist. Vermont (1809) I. 485 In a field in Connecticut..I approached with caution within twenty feet of a black snake, about seven feet long, having a white throat, and of the kind which the people there call runners. 1855W. G. Simms Forayers xxxix. 456 Push forward, quick as a runner (black snake).
g. In full, runner duck. A small white or fawn duck belonging to the breed so called and distinguished by an erect posture.
1895W. Cook Ducks (rev. ed.) 96 Many cross-bred Indian Runner ducks have been sold as pure. 1900Reliable Poultry Jrnl. Apr. 207/2 The Runners are particularly adapted to the market poultry man's needs. 1918E. A. Taylor Runner Ducks ii. 15 The Runner Duck differs from all other breeds in that it has an upright carriage, which ensures the running gait. 1921Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 29 Oct. 4/3 Anyone who has used runner ducks' eggs can hardly discern in cooking the difference between these and hens' eggs. 1937[see Kerry2]. 1960L. Bonnet Pract. Duck-Keeping xiii. 116 The Indian Runner was the prolific layer of the duck world.
6. A fast-sailing ship; † esp. one for the carrying of dispatches without convoy in war time. Also spec. = run-boat s.v. run n.1 4 a (U.S.).
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Runner,..a Galley, or nimble Vessel, to make quick Voyages, as also to escape Privateers, Pirates, &c. 1705Lond. Gaz. No. 4164/3 By the Opportunity of a Runner, called the Neptune Galley,..we have..received Letters from the..Fleet. 1799Nelson 20 Aug. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) III. 454 The St. Vincent Cutter shall be a runner between us, as she sails very fast. 1804Ibid. 17 Apr. V. 501 Three French Privateers..have taken their Station off Tunis for the purpose of intercepting stragglers from Convoys or Runners. 1881E. Ingersoll Oyster Industry 164 Another branch of the trade conducted by vessels, generally known as runners... The runner will anchor near some tonging⁓ground, and an empty basket or a small flag will be hoisted to the masthead as a signal that she is ready to receive oysters. 1890Cent. Dict., Runner,..a market-vessel for the transportation of fish, oysters, etc.
7. a. One engaged in running contraband goods; a smuggler; also, a smuggling vessel. Now chiefly with qualifying n.: see gun-runner s.v. gun n. 17, rum-runner s.v. rum n.1 3, etc. Also slang (chiefly U.S.), one engaged in conveying prohibited goods (as drugs, liquor) secretly.
(a)1721Lond. Gaz. No. 5978/1 A Gang of Runners of Goods from France..were..met. a1734North Lives (1742) i. 254 The unfair Traders and Runners, and such as come in before the Duties are recharged, will undersell us. 1870E. Peacock Ralf Skirl. II. 148 Tha've ta'en five and twenty hogsheads of gin and shot three o' th' runners.
(b)1731Gentl. Mag. I. 78 Lately a small runner put into Marazion in Cornwal, which had on board about 3 or 4 score anchors of brandy, some tobacco and soap.
(c)1930Amer. Mercury Dec. 457/2 Runner, one who transports liquor from the border to inland towns. ‘He's a torpedo for a big runner.’ 1963T. Tullett Interpol v. 65 Members of the gang, known as ‘runners’, were sent to Paris, or Marseilles, to pick up the drug. 1963Amer. Speech XXXVIII. 276 A student is not permitted to buy liquor; hence, should he want some, he must find someone to obtain it for him. Such an intermediary is termed a runner. 1971E. E. Landy Underground Dict. 163 Runner,..person carrying a drug between buyer and seller.
b. A blockade-runner. (See blockade n. 4.)
1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 586 Runners, ships which risk every impediment as to privateers or blockade, to get a profitable market. 1897Westm. Gaz. 6 Apr. 2/1 From a blockader's point of view, this precaution is absolutely necessary, as no ‘runner’ worthy of the name would attempt a venture during the day-time.
c. A sailor engaged for a short single voyage.
1878Daily News 26 Sept. 2/3 One of the two men at the wheel on Tuesday was an A.B.,..and the other was a ‘runner’ engaged to take the ship down to Newcastle.
8.
†a. Sc. A tapster. Obs.—1
1610Rec. Privy Council Scot. (1893) 286 The ventennar & rynnar of the said beir micht accordinglie sell the same.
b. Shoemaking. One who inserts a piece of leather between the sole and uppers.
1866Lond. Rev. 27 Oct. 459/2 There are welters, repairers, clobberers, clickers, blockers, runners, closers, and cleaners.
c. One who manages or ‘runs’ a machine, institution, etc.; spec. an engine-driver. Chiefly U.S. Also, the leader of a (freq. Black) street gang.
1874M. N. Forney Catechism of Locomotive 547 Every locomotive runner should..have an exact knowledge of the engine intrusted to him. a1890Engineer LXVIII. 349 (Cent.), There are two classes of runners, and a second-class man must run an engine two years before he can be promoted to first-class. 1893M. Holley Samantha at World's Fair i. 4 His parents..[were] good respectable..people..and runners of a cheese factory. 1901Munsey's Mag. XXV. 699/1 A new express..glided up to the platform under the hand of..one of the most experienced runners on the road. 1945F. H. Hubbard Railroad Avenue ii. 9 Dispatchers regarded him as a ‘fast roller’, a runner who could be depended upon to get his train over the road ‘on the card’. 1962Amer. Speech XXXVII. 135 Runner,..a locomotive engineer. 1972C. H. Fuller in W. King Black Short Story Anthol. 142 ‘He coulda' done you in,’ Rosalee enjoined... ‘He's the runner of Tenth and Montgomery—Reuben is ‘Little Blood’, girl!’ Ibid. 145 ‘Durango,’ the runner, stood to the rear of his troops and when they were ready nodded to ‘Cornbread’ the warlord, who moved to the center of the street screaming challenges. 1973Philadelphia Inquirer (Today Suppl.) 14 Oct. 29/1 Often nobody even knows who the runner (gang leader) is.
d. Mining. (See quot.)
1883Gresley Gloss. Coal-mining 208 Runner On,..the person who loads the cages at the pit bottom, and gives the signals to bank.
II.
9. †a. A strainer. Obs. rare.
c1460J. Russell Bk. Nurture 127 To iij. basouns ye must haue iij bagges renners, so clepe ham we, & hange þem on a perche. 1513Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. (1868) 269 Loke ye haue fyue or syxe bagges for your ypocras to renne in, & a perche that your renners may ren on. 1516in 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. 418/2 A irne brander, twa rynnars, a irne chimney.
b. north. A small stream; a brooklet, runnel.
1789Brand Newcastle II. 684 A little runner or feeder to supply the reservoir with water, is necessary. 1805Trans. Soc. Arts XXIII. 59 To prevent a runner of water overflowing several acres of flat land. 1893J. Watson Confess. Poacher 91 A sea-salmon is in the domain of the whole world one day; in a trickling runner among the hills the next.
c. Founding. A channel along which molten metal runs from the furnace to the mould.
1843Holtzapffel Turning I. 295 In casting large masses of gun-metal, it frequently happens that little hard lumps..work up to the surface of the runners or pouring places. Ibid. 350 The flasks require to be poured through a hole in the upper half.., which is formed by placing a wooden runner stick in the top part. 1873E. Spon Workshop Rec. Ser. i. 361/2 Holding the ladle at least 1 ft. above the runner so as to give weight and force to the burning metal.
d. = run n.1 13 g.
1928L. North Parasites 42 His quick eye detected a neatly darned spot near the heel of one, and a laboriously-checked runner in the other. 1931M. de la Roche Finch's Fortune xvii. 257 Alayne noticed a long ‘runner’ on the shoulder of her knitted jumper. 1942in H. Wentworth Amer. Dial. Dict. (1944) 525/1 She wears my finest evening gowns, gets runners in my hose.
10. a. A horizontal millstone capable of revolution, being usually the upper one of a pair.
1533J. Heywood Weather 743 (Brandl), Fere not the lydger, be ware your ronner. 1591Sylvester Du Bartas i. ii. 648 Somtimes whirling..The round-flat Runner in a roaring Mill. 1611Cotgr., Courant,..also, an vpper Mill⁓stone, called (also by our Millers) the runner. 1686Plot Staffordsh. 337 Two wheels, whereof one was fastened to the runner of the first Mill, and the second to the runner of the grinding-Mill. 1702Phil. Trans. XXIII. 1287 This being heavier,..I suppose might be the Runner. 1805R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. I. Pl. 24 An iron pin or pivot, which runs through the centre of the bed-stone, into a socket in the bridge of the upper stone or runner. 1853Glynn Treat. Power Water 143 Nether stone (runner) of the lower pair... Hollow spindle on which the runners or revolving millstones are hung. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 2003/1 Sometimes both stones..are driven, and thus become the upper and lower runner, respectively.
b. A vertical millstone, or a disk of stone, metal, etc., employed in the same manner.
1707Mortimer Husb. (1721) II. 387 A Mill may probably be so contriv'd, that the Grinding-stone or Runner may be vertical. 1759Phil. Trans. LI. 168 In a mill..applied to the crushing of rape seed, by means of two runners upon the edge. 1824Encycl. Metrop. (1845) XVI. 672/1 The Cider-mill consists of a stone wheel, provincially a ‘runner’, somewhat in the shape of a corn-mill-stone, running on its edge in a circular stone trough, provincially ‘the chase’. 1875Popular Sci. Rev. 46 Each mill consists of a pair of runners coupled together by a strong axle.
attrib.1825J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 451 The first part of the process is bruising the seed under the runner-stones. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 2004/1 Runner-ball, (Gunpowder) a wooden disk which crushes the mill-cake through the meshes of the sieves in granulating gunpowder.
c. A slab of stone or (rarely) iron, used in polishing stone surfaces.
1850Holtzapffel Turning III. 1196 The size of the grinder or, as it is called, the runner, depends upon the size and condition of the work to be ground. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 2003 Runner..(Stone-working), the upper, moving slab..in the process of grinding and polishing stone.
d. A cast-iron support to which lenses are cemented while being ground or polished.
1850Holtzapffel Turning III. 1263 For common glasses, that are ground several together, a convex tool of cast iron, called a runner, of about half an inch less radius than the templates, is also required.
e. A tool used in decorating pottery (see quots.).
1893E. A. Barber Pottery & Porcelain of U.S. i. 9 Incised ornamentation is sometimes added by the use of a small wheel, bearing an engraved device on the edge, called the ‘runner’, which is held in a frame. 1974Savage & Newman Illustr. Dict. Ceramics 250 Runner, a pointed tool used to decorate the body of a piece of pottery while it is cheese-hard and revolving on the potter's wheel.
f. The rotor or wheel of a turbine.
1908S. F. Walker Steam Boilers, Engines & Turbines v. 317 The moving wheels or runners consist of wrought-steel discs. 1916R. L. Daugherty Hydraulics xi. 179 The part of the turbine upon which the water does its work is called the runner. 1947G. F. Wislicenus Fluid Mech. Turbomachinery i. 1 The most essential part of all types of turbomachinery is a vane-carrying rotating element, the ‘runner’, operating inside a stream of fluid or under its influence. 1972J. M. K. Dake Essent. Engin. Hydraulics vi. 172 These concepts are applied to the runner of reaction pumps.
11. Naut.
a. A stout rope rove through a single block, with one end passed round a tackle-block and the other having a hook attached to it. Often coupled with tackle.
(a)a1625Nomenclator Navalis (Harl. MS. 2301), Runner is a roape..that doth belonge to the Garnett and the two boate Tackles... It is reeued in a single block [etc.]. 1644H. Manwayring Seaman's Dict. 87 Over-hale the Runner, that is, pull down that end which hath the hook in it, to hitch it into the slings, or the like. 1688Holme Armoury iii. xv. (Roxb.) 50/1 The Runner is generally taken for any rope, running through a block which is called a running rope. 1769Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Runner, a thick rope used to increase the mechanical powers of a tackle. 1841R. H. Dana Seaman's Man. 29 Rack the runner to the topmast backstay or after shroud. 1875Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. vi. 214 Haul the runners hand taut before hoisting.
(b)1728Chambers Cycl. s.v. Ship Pl., 39. Runners & Tackles. 1789G. Keate Pelew Isl. 231 They..carried out an anchor and hawser a-head, and got a runner and tackle purchase upon it. 1805Log Victory 21 Oct. in Nicolas Disp. VII. 153 Got up runners and tackles to secure lower masts. c1860H. Stuart Seaman's Catech. 36 Runners and tackles, for staying the masts and for securing them, in the event of the standing rigging having been shot or carried away.
b. attrib., as runner-block, runner-purchase, runner-tackle.
1793Smeaton Edystone L. 198 The runner block K will only rise..through half that space. 1841R. H. Dana Seaman's Man. 46 A Runner-Tackle is a luff applied to a runner. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 586 Runner-purchase, the addition of a tackle to a single rope, then termed a pendant, passing through a block applied to the object to be moved.
c. A single movable block in a system of pulleys.
1829Hand-bk. Nat. Philos., Mechanics ii. viii. 33 (U.K.S.), The single moveable pulley, sometimes called a runner.
12. a. A naked creeping stem thrown out from the base of the main stem of the strawberry and certain other plants, and itself taking root.
1664Evelyn Kal. Hort. Aug., Pluck up strawberry runners, extirpate the tall stalks [etc.]. 1763Mills Syst. Pract. Husb. IV. 180 Their runners cannot supply the fruit with due nourishment, if they themselves have not proper strength. 1786Abercrombie Arr. in Gard. Assist. 84 Propagate by runner young plants produced in summer. 1837Trans. Hortic. Soc. (1842) II. 176 The runners..having taken root, the old plants must be destroyed. 1882Garden 25 Mar. 205/1 The single sorts..are best grown from runners every year.
attrib.1786Abercrombie Gard. Assist. 80 Plant strawberries..by young runner-plants of last year.
†b. A plant which sends out creeping stems or runners. Obs.
1731Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Acetosa, It is a great Runner at the Root, by which Means it is easily propagated. Ibid. s.v. Circea, They are both great Runners in a Garden.
c. One of several cultivated varieties of beans which twine round stakes for support, esp. the scarlet runner (see scarlet a. 4 c). Also attrib. with (kidney) bean.
1786Abercrombie Gard. Assist. 203 Runner kidney beans—may also be sowed now. c1820Edin. Encycl. (1830) XI. 252/2 There are many varieties, both of what are called dwarfs, and of runners. Ibid., Runners..have long climbing stems, and..require stakes. 1882Garden 11 Mar. 164/3 Early Peas..might be cleared off in time for a crop of dwarf French or Runner Beans.
d. dial. (See quot.)
1889N.W. Linc. Gloss. 630 Runner, a turnip or mangel-wurzel which, in autumn, instead of forming a fleshy root shoots up a flowering stalk.
13.
†a. Some kind of firework running mechanically upon a line. Obs.—1
1688Lond. Gaz. No. 2362/3 Rockets, Runers on the Line, Wheels, Reporters, Hercules Club, and great Guns, with all manner of other Fire-works were discharged.
b. A ring or other device capable of slipping or sliding along a strap, rod, etc., or through which something may readily be passed or drawn; spec. in Mountaineering = running belay s.v. running ppl. a. 23 c. Also attrib., as runner-ring, runner-staple.
1688Holme Armoury iii. 325/2 Two other Kinds of Barnacles..hath a Runner or Ring to make it wider or closer together, as the Runner is drawn up it. Ibid. (Roxb.) 126/1 Parts and appurtenances belonging to a sword and belt... The Buckle. The Runner. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. §259 They had secured the sweep rope by letting drop a Runner-Ring. 1844H. Stephens Bk. Farm III. 1176 It consists of the runner-staple, b, which is from 8 to 10 inches in length. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 934/2 Gag-rein, a rein which passes over runners attached to the throat-latch, so as to draw the bit up into the corners of the horse's mouth when pulled upon. Ibid. 2003 Runner,..the slider of an umbrella to which the spreaders are pivoted. 1956C. Evans Kanchenjunga xii. 126 Runner—a ‘running belay’ made by threading the climber's rope through a ring fixed to the mountain. 1956[see chock n.1 8]. 1971D. Haston in C. Bonington Annapurna South Face xvii. 206 The rope ran out so I tied all my aid slings and runners together. 1973C. Bonington Next Horizon xii. 179 I'm thirty feet above my last runner, time for another but the skin of ice is too thin to take ice screws.
c. Mining. A device by which the loose end of the pulley-rope is connected with the boring-rods.
1839Ure Dict. Arts 966 The runner, for taking hold of the topit. 1869Greenwell Mine Engin. 137 A runner attached to the rope from the jack-roll is passed over the top of the rods.
d. dial. A jack-towel, round towel.
1882Jago Dial. Cornw., Runner, a round towel on a roller. 1891J. H. Pearce Esther Pentreath i. v, The stalwart great miller..was busily drying his hands on the runner that hung against the wall.
14. a. A long piece of wood or metal, curved at the ends, supporting the body of a sledge, toboggan, or the like, esp. for travel over snow or ice.
1747[see sleigh runner s.v. sleigh n. 4]. 1765Boston Gaz. 22 July 4/1 To be sold, a light fashionable four wheeler Carriage, with Runners to the same. 1789T. Anburey Trav. I. 142 Those [carioles] of their superiors are raised upon what are called runners, which elevate them about two feet. 1837Macdougall tr. Graah's E. Coast Greenl. 118 Its very bones serve to tip his darts, and shoe the runners of his sledge. 1859F. A. Griffiths Artil. Man. (1862) 63 The recoil may be..lessened by placing a small chain round each of the runners. 1881Scribner's Mag. XXII. 535/2 [The ice-yacht] is then backed farther, till the runners are also raised on the farther edge of the ice.
attrib.1897Outing XXIX. 341/1 The runner-board of a careening, unruly ice-boat.
b. The blade of a skate; a skate with a blade curving up at the toe.
1860Worcester, Skate, a sort of shoe..furnished with an iron runner, used to slide or travel on the ice. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 2192/2 In an in-door sport suggested by skating, the sole has rollers instead of a runner. 1893Daily News 5 Jan. 7/1 The beautifully-made modern runner, the narrow blade of which is prolonged a prodigious distance beyond the toe and finished with a curious up-turned boss.
c. orig. U.S. A long narrow strip of (freq. embroidered) cloth, usu. placed along or across a table as an ornament.
1889Harper's Bazaar 20 Apr. 284/2 (caption) Embroidered table runner. Ibid. (Suppl.) 2/4 The cream-colored canvas grenadine centre of this table runner is a yard and three quarters long and twelve inches wide. 1904Buffalo Commercial 2 June 6 Two long linen runners, one each way of the table, are now used in preference to the whole cloth or doilies. 1922Daily Mail 11 Dec. 14 The illustrated table runner..was decorated at each end with a simple design. 1932Modern Weekly 5 Mar. 997 Such a lovely runner to add a freshening touch to your dining-table. 1974M. Ingate Sound of Weir ii. 11 On the lace runner on the dressing table was a photograph.
d. A long narrow rug or strip of carpet, used esp. in a hall or on a staircase.
1901J. K. Mumford Oriental Rugs vii. 95 Makatlik, or ‘runners’.—These are what we know as ‘hall’ or ‘stair’ rugs. 1910S. Humphries Oriental Carpets, Runners & Rugs 251, I have used the term ‘runners’, instead of ‘strips’ (as some call them), because the latter description might lead one to suppose that only a fragment of a carpet was intended, whereas the runner is distinct and complete in itself... Runners are, in fact, very long rugs. 1918V. O. Freeburg Art of Photoplay Making 236 He tries the stairs vaguely again, and, losing his balance at the top, grasps the ‘runner’ which pulls loose and wraps itself around him as he rolls down. 1937M. Allingham Dancers in Mourning xvi. 200 Petals lay on the imitation parquet..and on the imitation Persian runner in the hall. 1947[see body carpet s.v. body n. 30]. 1955C. Smith Speaking Eye xiii. 140 The corridor was yellow with a pale green runner. 1960News Chron. 12 Sept. 6/4 A good buy in Oriental carpeting is the..runner. 1972‘H. Carmichael’ Naked to Grave i. 8 The entrance hall had a runner of royal-blue carpet down the centre with parquet flooring on either side. 1977Times 9 Sept. 16/3 In the carpet section a rare pair of Shiraz runners were bought..for {pstlg}1,500.
15. a. A support or groove along, on, or in which anything slides; a roller.
1815Niles' Reg. IX. 201/2 [We] moved the one-half of the arch off sideways, forty-six feet, on to the runners one hundred and eighty-five feet long. 1833Loudon Encycl. Archit. §1585 Proper framed legs, rails, and runners (pieces of wood for the drawers to slide on, and to guide them). 1871Scribner's Mag. Nov. 46 The barn or house was pried up, and great runners, cut in the woods, placed under it, and under the runners were placed skids. 1891C. Roberts Adrift Amer. 57 Taking a fish-plate he uses it as a lever to shift the door from its runners, and crawls in. 1939–40Army & Navy Stores Catal. 1077/2 Curtain fittings... ‘Huntband’ Glide... 4 Runners to the foot. 1952Granville Dict. Theatrical Terms 155 Runner,..a curtain track. 1960Practical Wireless XXXVI. 328/2, 1 nylon ball-bearing curtain runner.
b. A long horizontal beam, girder, or other member (see quots.).
1891Notes on Building Constr. (new ed.) II. x. 216 The capsills or ‘runners’ [of a gantry]..are supported by struts. 1932Dowsett & Bartle Pract. Formwork & Shuttering i. 1 Propped shuttering [for floors] consists, generally, of ‘sheeting’ or ‘decking’ laid on joists..supported by heavier timbers, called ‘binders’ or ‘runners’, resting on upright ‘props’. 1960O. Skilbeck ABC of Film & TV 112 Runners, overhead girders with their depending tackle, from which, on modern stages, lamps and even complete prefabricated sets are hung. 1968Gloss. Formwork Terms (B.S.I.) 21 Runner. 1. A longitudinal member spanning across a number of support members to lace them together. 2. One of a pair of supports running parallel to the axis of the centering for a deep arch or tunnel. One runner is above the other and they are separated by folding wedges. 3. See ‘ledger’ [= a horizontal timber supported on posts or hangers and carrying joists].
c. (See quot. 1940.)
1891Notes on Building Constr. (new ed.) II. x. 209 Sometimes in very bad soil long planks called ‘runners’, having sharp ends shod with iron, are substituted for the poling boards. 1928W. Simpson Foundations vii. 176 When test pits are of considerable depth, say, 40 ft., it is necessary to ‘double set’ the timbers, in which case two, or more sets of runners are used to reach the bottom. 1940Chambers's Techn. Dict. 734/2 Runners, a form of sheet pile much used for timbering wide excavations. It consists of short planks shaped to a chisel point at one end and usually shod with thin steel strip, so that as each runner is driven in, it wedges up against its neighbour. 1963M. J. Tomlinson Foundation Design & Construction ix. 538 In water-bearing sands and silts continuous support will have to be given to the face by means of timber runners or poling boards or by steel trench sheets or sheet piling.
16. Bookbinding. (See quot. 1818.)
1818Art Book-binding 2 Runner, a smooth-faced board placed on the right hand of the book when cutting. 1885C. G. W. Lock Workshop Rec. Ser. iv. 240/2 The book being lowered into the press, the runner is put flush with the cheek of the press.
17. A wagon or trolley: (see quots.).
1853Ure Dict. Arts (ed. 4) II. 224 When every skip arrives at the top of the shaft, a carriage, boarded over, called the ‘runner’, is wheeled over the mouth of the pit whilst the coal is landed. 1893Labour Comm. Gloss., Runner, a small iron trolley used in the printing industry for shifting stones about. 1898Standard 20 Oct., The timber in each load came within the compass of the three waggons and..no ‘runner’ was necessary. The ‘runner’..was an extra waggon coupled on to cover the projecting ends of the timber.
18. Sc. (See quot. 1825).
1825Jamieson Suppl., Runner, in cutting up of beeves, the slice which extends across the fore-part of the carcase under the breast. 1842J. Aiton Domest. Econ. (1857) 98 For boiling-pieces of beef, the runner, the nineholes and the breast are the best.
19. Typogr. (See quot. 1956.)
1888C. T. Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 117 Runners, figures or letters placed down the length of a page to indicate the particular number or position of any given line. 1926W. H. Slater What Compositor should Know iii. 16 Runners are generally used in translations, and then only when the author has written a running commentary on the peculiarities of the original. 1956Bookman's Conc. Dict. 259/2 Runners, letters or figures placed in the margin of a page opposite lines at regular intervals for assistance in reference (especially in poetry).
20. In various technical and specific senses: (see quots.).
1688Holme Armoury iii. xxii. (Roxb.) 274/2 Instruments belonging to the Cook. The first is termed a Runner with Twichers... The second is called a Runner with an Halfe Round... These are to cut through past, or make veriaty of marks and indents. 1788W. H. Marshall Rur. Econ. Yorks. I. 269 A simple improvement of the Wheel-washer—provincially ‘Runner’. 1836Yarrell Brit. Fishes I. 3 A Perch of eight pounds taken..by a runner, or night-line, baited with a roach. 1839Ure Dict. Arts 348 [In a cotton-card] h′ is the small runner or urchin, and i′ the large runner. 1843Holtzapffel Turning I. 324 The breaks, or the runners, of the types are first broken off [etc.]. 1875Knight Dict. Mech. 1275/1 Green-salted hides and skins..if thin and poor are called runners or murrains, and are sold at two thirds the price of good kip. 1877Encycl. Brit. VI. 32/2 (Clocks), The points of the driven wheel or runner (as it may be called, more appropriately than the usual term follower). 1882Caulfeild & Saward Dict. Needlewk. 428/2 Runners, the name by which the Bobbins that work across a pattern in Pillow Lace making are known. 1884F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 230 An idle wheel is also sometimes called a runner. 1892Jacobi Some Notes on Books 47 Runners, figures or letters placed down the length of a page to indicate the particular number or position of any given line.
Hence ˈrunnered a., furnished with runners.
1887Cornh. Mag. March 270 The small, runnered sleigh is used.
Sense 20 in Dict. becomes 21. Add: [I.] [1.] h. Amer. Football. A player who runs in possession of the ball on an attacking play; a ball-carrier. Cf. rusher n.2 3.
1890Outing Feb. 386/2 It was left to Princeton and Yale to..generalize it into the principle that has made rushers and backs, runners and rushers alike in the rushing game of the last four years. 1894Stagg & Williams Amer. Football 43 The end-rusher has to meet the runner under most trying circumstances. 1922Outing May 65/2 Hunt counted the yards by fives..till the runner hurled himself across the line. 1957Encycl. Brit. IX. 473/2 Massed defenders could be either crushed down or split asunder to give the runner free passage toward the enemy goal. 1986Touchdown Apr. 20/4 The runner has known from high school that you shouldn't run backwards, you shouldn't give up yardage.
i. Colloq. phr. to do a runner: to escape by running away (esp. of a thief or police suspect), to abscond; hence gen., to depart hastily and unceremoniously. Cf. do v. 11 d.
1981B. Ashley Dodgem viii. 162 Kids disappeared on their own, parents frantic or couldn't care less, grown-ups done a runner. 1985Venue 20 Apr. 47/3, I dropped the video and did a runner across the roof, but I was stuck and couldn't get down! 1986Times 21 June 3/8 He had been put into police cells and given a kicking after he ‘tried to do a runner’. 1986J. Milne Dead Birds Pref. p. 4 The passenger jumped out and did a runner.
[5.] h. Shooting. A wounded game bird which runs along the ground but cannot fly. Also fig.
1900Tudway & Hall in A. E. T. Watson Young Sportsman 389 There should be under-men with retrievers in attendance, whose business it is to collect runners and birds that are not immediately recovered. 1949C. E. Hare Lang. Field Sports (rev. ed.) vi. 78 Runner, a bird, usually a wounded one, that travels fast without flying. 1950‘H. Green’ Nothing 100 ‘They have to learn to fly some time. I know Mary will be all right but Jane doesn't want Philip a runner... Wounded bird, broken wing Jane,’ Mr Abbot explained. 1966R. Jeffries Death in Coverts viii. 93 Toby, Miss Harmsworth's dog, flashed past him with a runner in his mouth. 1988Shooting Life June 45/3 He..persevered despite his own hunger to account for that strong runner you told him about and which he had already marked even as it fell.
[II.] 20. Austral. colloq. A lightweight, soft-soled, canvas shoe, worn for sport or as casual wear; a sand-shoe or tennis shoe. Usu. pl.
1970J. S. Gunn in W. S. Ramson Eng. Transported iv. 64 We should investigate the areas of use of such duplications as..sandshoes/sneakers/tennis shoes/runners. 1972Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 13 Feb. 2/2 Readers..claim Queenslanders have a wide range of words that aren't used anywhere else. Mrs G. E. Hanson (Toowoomba) offers ‘runners’ as a Queensland word for tennis shoes. 1979Verbatim Summer 7/2 What are sandshoes in South Australia may be called runners in Victoria. 1983Austral. Women's Weekly Aug. 21/1 In Victoria you exercise in runners, in NSW in sandshoes or tennis shoes, although the word ‘runner’ is catching on across the country.
▸ runner's high n. a feeling of well-being or euphoria resulting from physical exercise, esp. running.
1975Lincoln (Nebraska) Star 15 May 9/3 The first 20 or 30 minutes you feel rotten... Almost as consistent is the ‘*runner's high’ that occurs 30 to 40 minutes after starting. 2003G. Kolata Ultimate Fitness viii. 175 Vigorous exercise..is supposed to flood the brain with morphine-like chemicals, endorphins, that elicit feelings of euphoria, giving you a so-called runner's high. |