run to ground

To hunt out, track down

shift one's ground

To change one's standpoint in a situation or argument

run /run/, also (formerly) ren /ren/, (Scot) rin /rin/

intransitive verb (runnˈing; ran; run)

1. To proceed by lifting one foot before replacing the other
2. To go swiftly, at more than a walking pace
3. To hasten
4. To proceed quickly
5. To take oneself somewhere
6. To flee (esp with away or off)
7. To progress, esp smoothly and quickly
8. To go about freely
9. To ride at a running pace
10. To roll
11. To revolve
12. (of a film, video or audio tape, etc) to be rolling between spools, be playing or recording
13. To go with a gliding motion
14. To slip
15. To go on wheels
16. To travel, cover a distance
17. To make a short journey
18. To swim in shoals
19. To ascend a river for spawning
20. To ply
21. (of notes, words, etc) to have a definite sequence
22. (esp of a machine) to proceed through a sequence of operations, to work or go
23. To follow a course
24. (of a play or film) to be staged or screened regularly over a period of time
25. To flow
26. To spread, diffuse (esp of a colour), to spread through a fabric when wetted
27. (of a pipe, tap, etc) to emit or transmit a flow
28. To overflow, leak
29. (of the nose, a sore, etc) to discharge a fluid
30. (of a bath) to be being filled with water from the taps
31. To melt
32. To fuse
33. To curdle (now dialect)
34. To have a course, stretch or extent
35. (of a bill, etc) to amount to, total (with to)
36. To range
37. To average
38. To elapse
39. To tend
40. To come to be, become, pass (archaic)
41. To be current
42. To be valid
43. To recur repeatedly or remain persistently (in the mind, in the family, etc)
44. To come undone, eg by the dropping or breaking of a stitch or thread
45. To compete in a race
46. To be a candidate (N American)

transitive verb

1. To cause to run
2. To chase, hunt
3. To drive forward
4. To thrust
5. To pierce
6. To drive
7. To pass quickly
8. To drive through (a red traffic light or stop signal; chiefly N American)
9. To range, run about or throughout
10. To hurry through
11. To enter, promote, put forward (eg a horse, candidate or protégé)
12. To render, by running or otherwise
13. To conduct, manage
14. To follow
15. To traverse
16. To cause to extend, form in a line
17. To sew lightly and quickly
18. To shoot along or down
19. To perform, achieve or score by running, or as if by running
20. To flee or desert from
21. To incur
22. To risk and pass the hazard of
23. To smuggle
24. To have or keep current or running
25. To publish (a regular paper, magazine, etc)
26. To publish (an article or advertisement) in a newspaper or magazine, esp in successive issues
27. To show (a film, video or TV programme)
28. To provide pasture for (Aust and NZ)
29. To compete with in a race
30. To press or put to it, in competition or difficulty
31. To coagulate
32. To fuse
33. To emit, discharge, flow with
34. To be filling (a bath) with water from the taps
35. To execute (a program; computing)
36. To control the activities of (esp a spy)
37. To take an uninterrupted succession of tricks in (a suit) (bridge)

noun

1. An act, spell or manner of running
2. A journey, trip
3. Distance, time or quantity run
4. A circuit of duty, such as a delivery round, etc
5. A continuous stretch, spell, series, or period
6. A shoal, migration or migrating body
7. A roulade (music)
8. A chance, go, opportunity
9. A spell of being in general demand (usu with on)
10. A rush for payment, as upon a bank
11. A unit of scoring in cricket
12. A batsman's passage from one popping crease to the other
13. A circuit in baseball
14. Flow or discharge
15. A mark made by the spreading of dye, paint, etc
16. Course
17. Prevalence
18. The ordinary or average kind, the generality
19. A track
20. A path made by animals
21. A small stream (US)
22. A range of feeding-ground
23. A tract of land used for raising stock (Aust and NZ)
24. An enclosure for chickens, etc
25. Freedom of access to all parts
26. The playing of a salmon
27. General direction
28. A ladder in knitting or knitted fabrics, esp stockings
29. The part of a ship's hull near the stern where it curves upwards and inwards
30. The complete execution of a program, suite of programs or routine (computing)
31. (in pl, with the) diarrhoea (informal)

adjective

1. Having been poured, smuggled or coagulated
2. Having run

runˈlet noun

A runnel

runnˈable adjective

1. (of a stag) fit for hunting
2. (of a machine, etc) in a fit state to drive, be operated, etc

runnˈer noun

1. A person or thing that runs or can run
2. A fugitive
3. A racer
4. A messenger
5. An agent
6. A tout
7. A person employed to collect information
8. A rooting stem that runs along the ground
9. A rope to increase the power of a tackle
10. A smuggler
11. A Bow Street officer (historical)
12. A ring, loop, etc through which anything slides or runs
13. The part on which a sledge, a skate or a drawer slides
14. The passage by which metal is poured into a mould
15. A strip of cloth, usu embroidered, as a table ornament
16. A revolving millstone, esp the upper of a pair
17. A slice across a carcase of beef below the breast (Scot)
18. A climbing plant Phaseolus multiflorus of the kidney bean genus, (also called runner bean or scarlet runner)
19. A breed of domestic duck (also called runner duck)
20. Any of various fish of the jack family found in tropical waters, such as Caranx crysos
21. A vessel for conveying fish, oysters, etc
22. A long narrow strip of carpet used for passages and staircases
23. A player who runs between the wickets in place of an injured teammate who is able to bat but not run (cricket)
24. (usu in pl) a running shoe

runnˈing adjective

1. Racing
2. Habitually going at a run
3. Current
4. Successive
5. Continuous
6. Flowing
7. Discharging
8. Easy
9. Cursive
10. Itinerant
11. Done at or with a run
12. Hasty

noun

1. The action of the verb
2. The pace
3. The lead
4. The competitive state

runnˈingly adverb

runnˈy (runnˈier; runnˈiest) adjective

1. Inclined to run or liquefy
2. Watery

runˈabout noun

1. A gadabout
2. A vagabond
3. A small light car, boat or aeroplane

runˈaround noun

1. A runabout (car)
2. See also give (someone) the runaround below

runˈaway noun

1. A fugitive
2. A horse that bolts
3. A flight

adjective

1. Fleeing
2. Done by or during flight
3. Uncontrolled
4. Overwhelming

runˈback noun

The area behind the baseline at either end of a tennis court

run chart noun (computing)

A diagram prepared from a systems flowchart which represents the sequence of computer operations

run-downˈ adjective

1. In weakened health
2. (of a building, etc) dilapidated

noun

1. (usu runˈdown) a reduction in numbers
2. A statement bringing together all the main items, a summary (see also run down below)

runˈflat noun and adjective

(a tyre) able to be safely driven on for a considerable distance when punctured, without sustaining further damage

runˈ-in noun

1. An approach
2. A quarrel, argument (informal; see also run in below)

run length noun (computing)

The number of consecutive identical digits in binary data

runˈ-length limited adjective (computing)

Denoting a coding strategy used in magnetic and optical recording to eliminate the error caused by long runs of consecutive identical digits, which cannot be counted accurately, by ensuring that the number of consecutive identical digits is never less than three or more than eleven

runner-upˈ noun (pl runners-upˈ)

1. A competitor (orig a dog) that holds out to the last heat
2. The competitor next after the winner
3. Any of a number of contestants coming close behind the winner

running back noun (American football)

A back who is expected to advance the ball from the scrimmage by running with it

running balance noun

One computed and shown every time a transaction or an alteration to an account occurs, such as in a bank statement (also called continuous balance)

running banquet or running buffet noun

A slight or hasty collation

running battle noun

1. A battle between pursuers and pursued
2. A continuing skirmish (also figurative)

running belay noun (mountaineering)

A device attached to the rockface through which a rope runs freely

running board noun

A footboard along the side of a motor car or (US) locomotive

running commentary noun

1. A commentary accompanying a text
2. A broadcast description of a game or other event in progress

running costs plural noun

The costs of materials and labour, etc required for the normal operation of a machine, office or business company

running dog noun (derogatory)

In political jargon, a slavish follower

running fight noun

A fight between pursuer and pursued

running fire noun (military)

A rapid succession of firing

running footman noun

A servant who ran before or alongside a horse-rider or carriage

running gag noun (informal)

A joke that continually reappears throughout a play, programme, etc

running gear noun

The wheels and axles of a vehicle

running hand noun

A cursive handwriting script produced without lifting the pen, etc between letters of the same word

running head or running headline same as running title below.

running knot noun

A knot that will form a noose on pulling

running lights plural noun

1. The lights shown by vessels between sunset and sunrise
2. Small lights at the front and rear of a car which remain on while the engine is running

running mate noun

1. A runner who makes the pace for another
2. A horse teamed with another, or making the pace for another
3. The candidate for the less important of two associated offices, esp the candidate for the vice-presidency considered in relation to the presidential candidate (US politics)

running ornament noun

An ornament in which the design is continuous

running repairs plural noun

Minor temporary repairs

running rigging noun (nautical)

All the rigging except the shrouds, stays and lower masthead pendants

running shoe noun

(usu in pl) a lightweight shoe designed for running or for casual wear

running sore noun

1. One which discharges pus
2. A continual irritation, a long-standing problem

running stitch noun

A straight stitch worked in a line with stitches and spaces between of equal length, often used to gather fabric

running time noun

The duration, usu given in minutes, of a cinema film

running title noun

The title of a book, chapter, etc printed repeatedly in the upper margin of each or every alternate page

running water noun

1. An uninterrupted flow of water from a main or tap
2. Water in or taken from a flowing stream

runˈ-off noun

1. A race held to resolve a dead heat or other uncertain result (also figurative)
2. Rainwater which drains into rivers, rather than being absorbed into the soil
3. Urination (slang)

run-of-the-millˈ adjective

1. Constituting an ordinary fair sample, not selected
2. Mediocre

run-onˈ adjective

In verse, carrying the sense on beyond the end of the line (see also run on below)

runˈ-out noun (cricket)

A dismissal of a batsman by running him or her out

runˈ-resist adjective

(of stockings or tights) knitted with a stitch that does not ladder readily

runˈ-through noun

An instance of running through (see run through below)

run time noun

The time needed for the execution of a computer program

run-time error noun (computing)

Same as execution error (see under execute)

run-time system noun (computing)

A complete set of software which supports a high-level language and enables programs to be executed

runˈ-up noun

An approach (lit and figurative; see also run up below)

runˈway noun

1. A trail, track or passageway
2. A firm strip of ground for aircraft to take off from and land on
3. A catwalk
4. An enclosure for domestic animals

do a runner (informal)

To run away, esp to leave a shop, restaurant, etc quickly, without paying

give (someone) the runaround (informal)

1. To behave repeatedly in a vague, indecisive or deceptive way towards
2. To reply to a question or meet a request with evasion

in the long run

In the end or final result

in or out of the running

Competing with or without a fair chance of success

make or take up the running

1. To take the lead
2. To set the pace

on the run (informal)

Pursued, esp by the police

run across

To come upon by accident

run after

To pursue

run along (informal)

To leave (often as imperative)

run a temperature

To be feverish

run away with

1. To take away
2. To win (a prize, etc) easily
3. To be over-enthusiastic about (an idea, etc)

run by (or past)

To mention (a plan, idea, etc) to (someone) in order to ascertain his or her opinion of it

run down

1. To pursue to exhaustion or capture
2. To collide with and knock over or sink
3. To treat or speak to disparagingly
4. To become unwound or exhausted

run dry

1. To cease to flow
2. To come to an end

run for it (informal)

To attempt to escape, run away from

run hard or close

To press hard behind

run high

(of rivers or feelings) to be close to overflowing

run in

1. To go in
2. To arrest and take to a lock-up
3. To insert a word, etc, without making a break or new paragraph (printing)
4. To bring (new machinery, a car, etc) into full working condition by a period of careful operation

run in the blood or family

To be a hereditary characteristic or quality

run into

1. To meet, come across
2. To collide with
3. To extend into

run into debt

To get into debt

run it fine

To allow very little margin of time, etc

run itself

(of a business enterprise, etc) to need little supervision or active direction

run low

To run short

run off

1. To cause to flow out
2. To take impressions of, to print
3. To repeat, recount

run off one's feet

Exhausted by overwork

run off with (informal)

1. To take away, steal
2. To elope with
3. To win comfortably

run on

1. To talk on and on
2. To continue in the same line, and not in a new paragraph (printing)
3. To print extra copies of something, eg an advertisement for trade distribution

run one's eyes over

To look at cursorily

run out

1. To run short
2. To terminate, expire
3. To leak, let out liquid
4. To dismiss (a batsman running between the wickets and not yet in his ground) by breaking the wicket with the ball
5. Dismissed thus
6. To force to leave (chiefly N American slang)

run out of

To have no more of

run out on (informal)

To abandon, desert

run over

1. To overflow
2. To go beyond (a limit, etc)
3. To overthrow
4. To go over cursorily
5. (of a road vehicle) to knock down (a person or animal)

run scared (slang)

To be frightened

run short

To come to be short, lacking or exhausted

run through

1. To pierce through with a sword, etc
2. To spend wastefully
3. To read or perform quickly or cursorily but completely

run to

To be sufficient for

run to earth see under earth

run together

To mingle or blend

run to ground see under ground¹

run to seed see under seed¹

run up

1. To make or mend hastily
2. To build hurriedly
3. To string up, hang
4. To send the ball rolling or flying low towards the hole (golf)
5. To incur increasingly

run up against

To be faced with (a challenge, difficulty, etc)

run with

1. To associate habitually with
2. To agree to, proceed with

take a running jump (slang)

An expression of impatience, contempt, etc

take up the running

(in a race) to take over as pacesetter