run

verb [I or T] (FLOW)

/rʌn/ (present participle running, past tense ran, past participle run)

Definition

B2 to (cause something to) flow, produce liquid, or (especially of colours in clothes) to come out or spread: I can feel trickles of sweat running down my neck. Don't cry, or your make-up will run (= become liquid and move down your face). The walls were running with damp. The river runs (down) to/into the sea. The hot tap is running cold (= producing cold water)! I turned the tap on and ran some cold water on the burn. [+ two objects] I'll run you a hot bath (= fill a bath with water for you). My nose and eyes have been running all week because of hay fever. I must have washed my dress at too high a temperature, because the colour has run. If the first layer isn't dry before you add the next one, the colours will run into each other (= mix).figurative After twelve hours at her word processor, the words began to run into one another (= seem mixed together).Movement of liquidsColour - general words

(Definition of run verb (FLOW) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Browse related topics

You are looking at an entry to do with Movement of liquids, but you might be interested in these topics from the Movement and location topic area: