| 释义 |
runner-up
Also runnerup; pl. runners-up, runner-ups.
1. a. Coursing. A dog that takes the second prize, losing only the final course to the winner.
1842Thacker Courser's Ann. 210 Dividers or runners up for stakes of only four dogs. 1853‘Stonehenge’ Greyhound xi, The Ages of..the Winners and Runners up. 1856― Brit. Rural Sports ii. iii. viii. 207/1 The dog beaten by the runner-up in the last tie but one. 1890A. R. Starr in Upland Shooting 471 The dog last running with the winner is called the runner up, because he ran through the races up to the last race without being defeated once.
b. gen. A competitor or competing team that comes in second or takes the second place, esp. one defeated only in the final heat or tie of a series of matches or races.
1886Pall Mall G. 2 Aug. 3/2 Now Bird is nowhere, while Brown is the runner-up for the first place. 1887Irvine Football 113 In 1873 the Wanderers again won the cup, the runners-up being Oxford University. 1949Cavalier Daily (Univ. of Virginia) 22 Oct. 1/3 The last issue of the magazine will announce the award winner and the runner-ups. 1955Times 16 May 13/4 Miss Garvey, twice runner-up was unable to play. 1976Burnham-on-Sea Gaz. 20 Apr., Highbridge soccer team Bristol Bridge look like losing their chance of finishing runners-up in the second division of the Bridgwater and District Sunday Football League. 1976Billings (Montana) Gaz. 27 June 8-f/6 Other accomplished cowboys attending the rodeo include Royce Smith..who was runnerup for the world title twice.
c. transf. and fig.
1932New Yorker 11 June 24/3 Blyth Daly is the horsy young lady who serves as runner-up to the Brat in offensiveness. 1949Sat. Rev. Lit. (U.S.) 11 June 38/2 It was a ‘runner-up’ for the Herald Tribune award. 1974Times 9 Nov. 10/5 Shirley Gee's Stones was runner up in the Radio Times play competition.
2. One who ‘runs up’ bids at an auction.
1905Daily Chron. 9 Aug. 6/4 Some of the functions of a professional ‘runner up’ of bids.
3. attrib., as runner-up list, runner-up prize.
1925Scribner's Mag. Oct. 384/1 At the tournament dance..he was called out for the runner-up prize in the fourth division. 1976National Observer (U.S.) 18 Dec. 6/4 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made the runner-up list, as did Alistair Cooke, Shirley MacLaine, [etc.]. |