2 N‑COUNT The runners in a horse race are the horses taking part. □ There are 18 runners in the top race of the day.
3 N‑COUNT [n N ] A drug runner or gun runner is someone who illegally takes drugs or guns into a country.
4 N‑COUNT Someone who is a runner for a particular person or company is employed to take messages, collect money, or do other small tasks for them. □ …a bookie's runner.
5 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Runners are thin strips of wood or metal underneath something which help it to move smoothly. □ [+ of ] …the runners of his sled.
6 PHRASE If someone does a runner , they leave a place in a hurry, for example in order to escape arrest or to avoid paying for something. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ At this point, the accountant did a runner–with all my bank statements, expenses and receipts.
ru n|ner bean (runner beans ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Runner beans are long green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. [BRIT ] in AM, use pole beans , scarlet runners
ru nner-u p (runners-up ) N‑COUNT A runner-up is someone who has finished in second place in a race or competition. □ The ten runners-up will receive a book token.
run|ning ◆◆◇ /rʌ n I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Running is the activity of moving fast on foot, especially as a sport. □ We chose to do cross-country running. □ …running shoes.
2 N‑SING The running of something such as a business is the managing or organizing of it. □ [+ of ] …the committee in charge of the day-to-day running of the party.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use running to describe things that continue or keep occurring over a period of time. □ He also began a running feud with Dean Acheson.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] A running total is a total which changes because numbers keep being added to it as something progresses. □ He kept a running tally of who had called him, who had visited, who had sent flowers.
5 ADV [n ADV ] You can use running when indicating that something keeps happening. For example, if something has happened every day for three days, you can say that it has happened for the third day running or for three days running . □ He said drought had led to severe crop failure for the second year running.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Running water is water that is flowing rather than standing still. □ The forest was filled with the sound of running water.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] If a house has running water, water is supplied to the house through pipes and taps. □ …a house without electricity or running water in a tiny African village.
8 PHRASE If someone is in the running for something, they have a good chance of winning or obtaining it. If they are out of the running for something, they have no chance of winning or obtaining it. □ Until this week he appeared to have ruled himself out of the running because of his age.
9 PHRASE If someone is making the running in a situation, they are more active than the other people involved. [mainly BRIT ] □ Republicans are furious that the Democrats currently seem to be making all the running.
10 PHRASE If something such as a system or place is up and running , it is operating normally. □ We're trying to get the medical facilities up and running again.
-running /-rʌn I ŋ/ COMB -running combines with nouns to form nouns which refer to the illegal importing of drugs or guns. □ …a serviceman suspected of gun-running.
ru n|ning ba t|tle (running battles ) N‑COUNT When two groups of people fight a running battle , they keep attacking each other in various parts of a place. □ They fought running battles in the narrow streets with police.
ru n|ning co m|men|tary (running commentaries ) N‑COUNT If someone provides a running commentary on an event, they give a continuous description of it while it is taking place. □ [+ on ] For the first time, the film can be watched with a running commentary by the director.
ru n|ning costs
1 N‑PLURAL The running costs of a business are the amount of money that is regularly spent on things such as salaries, heating, lighting, and rent. [BUSINESS ] □ The aim is to cut running costs by £90 million per year.
2 N‑PLURAL The running costs of a device such as a heater or a fridge are the amount of money that you spend on the gas, electricity, or other type of energy that it uses. □ Always buy a heater with thermostat control to save on running costs.
ru n|ning mate (running mates ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] In an election campaign, a candidate's running mate is the person that they have chosen to help them in the election. If the candidate wins, the running mate will become the second most important person after the winner. [mainly AM ] □ His name is being touted widely as a vice-presidential running mate.
ru n|ning or|der N‑SING The running order of the items in a broadcast, concert, or show is the order in which the items will come. □ We had reversed the running order.
ru n|ning time (running times ) N‑COUNT The running time of something such as a film, video, or CD is the time it takes to play from start to finish.
run|ny /rʌ ni/ (runnier , runniest )
1 ADJ Something that is runny is more liquid than usual or than was intended. □ Warm the honey until it becomes runny.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone has a runny nose or runny eyes, liquid is flowing from their nose or eyes. □ Symptoms are streaming eyes, a runny nose, headache and a cough.
ru n-off (run-offs ) also runoff N‑COUNT [usu sing] A run-off is an extra vote or contest which is held in order to decide the winner of an election or competition, because no-one has yet clearly won. □ [+ between ] There will be a run-off between these two candidates on December 9th.