run

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

Definition

MOVE FAST [I, T] › to move on your feet at a faster speed than walking: He can run very fast. He ran away when I tried to pick him up. [+ to do sth] We had to run to catch up with him. I run about three miles every morning.

ORGANIZE [T] › to organize or control something: She ran her own restaurant for five years.

run sb/sth to/down, etc › to take someone or something somewhere, usually by car: Could you run me to the station this afternoon?

WORKING [I, T] › If a piece of equipment is running, it is switched on and working, and if you run it, you switch it on and make it work: The engine is running more smoothly now.

USE COMPUTER [T] › If you run a computer program, you use it on your computer: Did you run a virus check this morning?

TRAVELLING [I] › If trains or buses are running, they are available to travel on: The buses only run until 11 p.m.

LIQUID [I] › If liquid runs somewhere, it flows: Tears ran down her face. Have you got a tissue? My nose is running (= liquid is coming out of it).

PUBLISH [T] › to publish something in a newspaper or magazine: All the papers are running this story on the front page.

run a bath UK › to fill a bath with water so that it is ready to use

run sth along/over/through, etc sth › to move something along, over, or through something else: She ran her fingers through her hair.

run through/down/along, etc › If something long and narrow runs somewhere, it is in that position: There are wires running across the floor. The road runs parallel to the railway line.

CONTINUE [I] › If a play, film, etc runs for a period of time, it continues that long: The play ran for five months before moving to the West End.

run in sb's/the family › If a quality, ability, disease, etc runs in the family, many members of the family have it: A love of animals runs in our family.

COLOUR [I] › If a colour runs, it comes out of some material when it is washed.

be running at sth › to be at a particular level: Inflation is now running at 5.8%. → See also cast/run your/an eye over sth → See also run the gauntlet → See also run riot → See also run out of steam → See also run wild

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