Meanings
plural roadrunners
- Either of two species of fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family native to North and Central America, the lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) and, especially, the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).
Synonyms: chaparral bird, chaparral cock, chaparral hen, paisano
Synonyms & antonyms
nounEither of two species of fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family native to North and Central America, the lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) and, especially, the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).
More synonyms by meaning
nounspeedy largely terrestrial bird found from California and Mexico to Texas
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Spanishcorrecaminos“roadrunner”
- Englishroadrunner
From road + runner, probably a calque of Spanish correcaminos (“roadrunner”), from correr (“to run”) + caminos (“roads”).
More words from Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic جواب
- جوابfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Bulgarian бя́гаща ку́кувица, зе́мна ку́кувица
- бя́гаща ку́кувица (bjágašta kúkuvica)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
- зе́мна ку́кувица (zémna kúkuvica)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Catalan correcamins
- correcaminsfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Czech kukačka kohoutí
- kukačka kohoutífast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Dutch renkoekoek
- renkoekoekfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Esperanto vojkurulo
- vojkurulofast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Estonian jooksurkägu
- jooksurkägufast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Finnish juoksukäki
- juoksukäkifast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
French géocoucou
- géocoucoufast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
German Rennkuckucke
- Rennkuckuckefast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Greek γεωκόκκυγας
- γεωκόκκυγας (geokókkygas)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Hebrew קוקייה רצנית
- קוקייה רצניתfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Hungarian gyalogkakukk
- gyalogkakukkfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Icelandic sprettgaukur
- sprettgaukurfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Irish reathaí an bhóthair
- reathaí an bhóthairfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Italian corridore della strada
- corridore della stradafast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Japanese ロードランナー, 道走
- ロードランナー (rōdorannā)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
- 道走 (michibashiri)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
- ミチバシリ (michibashiri)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Korean 로드러너
- 로드러너 (rodeureoneo)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Norwegian Bokmål løpegjøker, veiløpere
- løpegjøkerfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
- veiløperefast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Persian کوکوی دونده
- کوکوی دوندهfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Polish kukawka
- kukawkafast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Portuguese papa-léguas
- papa-léguasfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Romanian cucul alergător
- cucul alergătorfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Russian куку́шка-подоро́жник
- куку́шка-подоро́жник (kukúška-podoróžnik)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Spanish correcaminos
- correcaminosfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Swedish tuppgökar
- tuppgökarfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Turkish koşar gugukla
- koşar guguklafast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Ukrainian таязура-подорожник
- таязура-подорожник (tajazura-podorožnyk)fast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Vietnamese Chi Chẹo đất
- Chi Chẹo đấtfast-running bird in the genus Geococcyx
Cite this entry
roadrunner. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roadrunner
“roadrunner.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roadrunner. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “roadrunner,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roadrunner.
Source: roadrunner on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.