Meanings
runner1
plural runners
- Agent noun of run; one who runs.
- A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.
Near-synonym: racer
1 more example
The first runner to cross the finish line wins the race.
Synonyms: racer
- Any entrant, person or animal (especially a horse), for a race or any competition; a candidate for an election.
The mare is the stables' runner for the 5.15 race at Epsom.
1 more example
The judge said she would not be a runner in the upcoming elections.
- slangcard gamesA competitor in a poker tournament.
- Somebody who controls or manages (e.g. a system).
[…] at least half of which would be put into the pool for the winner, the rest kept for the runners of the system to cover costs and more than likely make a fair profit.
1998 June 12, Daniel Jonathan Kirk, “tipping competitions”, in aus.legal (Usenet) - in compoundsA person or vessel that runs blockades or engages in smuggling.
The gunrunners were arrested leaving the airport.
1 more example
The modus operandi used by the idol and antique runners is to order consignments of fakes.
1992, Hamendar Bhisham Pal, The Plunder of Art, page 75 - Australian rules footballA person (from one or the other team) who runs out onto the field during the game to take verbal instructions from the coach to the players. A runner mustn't interfere with play, and may have to wear an identifying shirt to make clear his or her purpose on the field.
- Anyone sent on an errand or with communications, especially for a bank (or, historically, a foot soldier responsible for carrying messages during war).
By 1963, Carmine was working as a "runner" for an accounting firm, and he would drop by 1619 Broadway to knock on doors in hopes of selling off some of his songs
1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 242 - A restaurant employee responsible for taking food from the kitchens to the tables.
[…] the chef can send a runner to see why not and if the waiter has forgotten about the order, a runner can cover and serve.
1989, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, volume 180, page 831 more example
“Then you divide your army amongst the various houses where restorations are ordered for Jubilee day?” / “Certainly—say one waiter to ten guests—if it was a dinner we should send one waiter to six guests—with runners, of course.” / “Runners?” / “Omnibuses you call them here—young ones—apprentices—who wait on the waiters.” / “Run everywhere, do anything?”
1897 June 19, “The Jubilee Waiters. Some Words with the Maître d’Hôtel.”, in The Daily News, number 15,984, London, →OCLC, page 2, column 6 - USdatedA trusty (prisoner granted special privileges).
In our prisons you might find a condemned man working as a runner, a trusty, which is about as far from segregation as you can get.
1959, Frederick S. Baldi, My Unwelcome Guests, page 25 - slanghobbiesAn employee of a sports agent who tries to recruit possible player clients for the agent.
1 more example
This week hundreds of NFL agents gathered to hear an honorable man talk about a noble pipedream. It was a discussion about a significant step to end one of the cornerstones of corruption in college football: runners. Not the backs getting their 40 times tested at the scouting combine but the slimeball trolls who work on behalf of agents to help recruit — a generous word — football prospects by illegally giving them cash (or cars or money for family members or rent for a nice house) so the player then signs with the agent upon turning pro.
Freeman, Mike (25 February 2012), “Runners' world: Union boss Smith's noble idea likely stuck at the start”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), CBSSports.com, retrieved 19 Mar 2014 - broadcastingAn assistant.
- slangusually in the phrase do a runnerA quick escape away from a scene; (by extension) the person who gets away.
He did a runner after robbing the drugstore.
1 more example
We were shocked, astonished, when the staff, when pushed, disclosed that they had had to cover runners the previous night. The runners used the scam of ‘smoking’ to go outside after eating and drinking champagne and top-notch wine … and kept walking. And who paid their bill? Staff! Disgusting.
2018 March 24, Loch Fyne, quotee, “True or false? 'If you do a runner, the waiter has to pay your bill'”, in The Guardian, →ISSN - A part of an apparatus that moves quickly.
After the cycle completes, the runner travels back quickly to be in place for the next cycle.
- A mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move (using wheels or sliding).
- A smooth strip on which a sledge runs.
- The blade of an ice skate.
- The channel or strip on which a drawer is opened and closed.
- Part of a mechanism which allows something to be pulled out for maintenance.
Maintenance was simplified by making all components easily accessible and easy to remove: for example, the air compressors in the short nose slide out on runners.
1962 June, “Beyond the Channel: U.S.S.R.: A 3,000 h.p. diesel-hydraulic from MaK”, in Modern Railways, page 416 - The curved base of a rocking chair.
Synonyms: rocker
- The rotating-stone of a grinding-mill.
- The movable piece to which the ribs of an umbrella are attached.
- A tool in which lenses are fastened for polishing.
- slangAn automobile; a working or driveable automobile.
The car salesman told me that the used Volvo was a nice little runner.
1 more example
Is that old Mercedes on the forecourt a runner? / No, it has no gearbox.
- A long, narrow carpet for a high-traffic area such as a hall or stairs.
Why don't we put down a clear runner in the front hall?
- slangA part of a cigarette that is burning unevenly.
- biologyA long stolon sent out by a plant (such as strawberry), in order to root new plantlets, or a plant that propagates by using such runners.
- A leaping food fish (Elagatis pinnulatis) of Florida and the West Indies; the skipjack, shoemaker, or yellowtail.
- video gamesA speedrunner.
- An idea or plan that has potential to be adopted or put into operation.
This idea isn't a runner. Let's not waste any more time on it.
- A running gag.
The fairy-tale promise of love and intimacy became a runner in Swift’s work as a songwriter, something she’d repeatedly espouse, then skewer; she was self-aware about the role narrative played in her expectations.
2023 December 6, Sam Lansky, “Person of Year 2023 : Taylor Swift”, in Time, archived from the original on 06 Dec 20231 more example
Don’t Look Up jabs around omnidirectionally, and some of the most gleefully ridiculous jokes land: There’s an inspired runner about an increasingly scandal-plagued Supreme Court nominee, for example, and another in which politicians and voters alike absurdly declare their allegiance to “the jobs the comet will bring.”
7 December 2021, Jesse Hassenger, “Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence cope with disaster in the despairing satire Don’t Look Up”, in AV Club - A streamlet.
A runner, or streamlet, from other woods joined it at this end, and waited in the pool to pass through the grating to the mills.
1927, Henry Williamson, Tarka the Otter
Runner2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.
nounA person hired by a gambling establishment to locate potential customers and bring them in.
nounThe curved base of a rocking chair.
nounA short sling with a carabiner on either end, used to link the climbing rope to a bolt or other protection such as a nut or friend.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who imports or exports without paying duties
nouna baseball player on the team at bat who is on base (or attempting to reach a base)
nouna horizontal branch from the base of plant that produces new plants from buds at its tips
noun(football) the player who is carrying (and trying to advance) the ball on an offensive play
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishrennere
- Englishrunner
From Middle English rennere, rynner, urnare, equivalent to run + -er. Cognate with Old Norse rennari (“runner; messenger”). Displaced earlier Middle English runel (“runner”), from Old English rynel (“runner”; also “messenger, courier”). ((botany) a long stolon sent by a plant): Compare typologically Russian побе́г (pobég) (akin to бежа́ть (bežátʹ)).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek δρομεύς
- δρομεύς (dromeús)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Arabic عَدَّاء, عَدَّاءَة
- عَدَّاء (ʕaddāʔ)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- عَدَّاءَة (ʕaddāʔa)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Bulgarian курие́р, разси́лен
- курие́р (kuriér)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- разси́лен (razsílen)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- бега́ч (begáč)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- бега́чка (begáčka)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- махови́к (mahovík)mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
Catalan corredor
- corredorsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Chinese Mandarin 信差, 通訊員 /通讯员
- 信差 (xìnchāi)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- 通訊員 /通讯员 (tōngxùnyuán)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- 運動鞋 /运动鞋 (yùndòngxié)type of soft-soled shoe
- 球鞋 (qiúxié)type of soft-soled shoe
- 纖匐枝 /纤匐枝 (xiānfúzhī)botany: long stolon
- 跑步者 (pǎobùzhě)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- 跑者 (pǎozhě)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Czech běhoun, běžec
- běhounlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- běžecsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- běžkyněsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Danish løber, løber
- løberstrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- løberlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- løbersomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Dutch renner
- rennersomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Estonian jooksja
- jooksjasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Finnish kilpailija, ehdokas
- kilpailijaentrant for a competition; candidate for an election
- ehdokasentrant for a competition; candidate for an election
- pyörittäjäsomebody who controls or manages
- jobbariperson or vessel that runs blockades or engages in smuggling
- lähettianyone sent on an errand or with communications
- hatkatslang: quick escape away from a scene
- juoksukenkätype of soft-soled shoe
- lenkkitossutype of soft-soled shoe
- lenkkaritype of soft-soled shoe
- luistipart of an apparatus that moves quickly
- menopelislang: automobile; a working or driveable automobile
- kaitaliinastrip of fabric used to decorate a table
French stolon, coureur
- stolonbotany: long stolon
- coureursomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- coureusesomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- coulissemechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
- glissièremechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
German Laufschuh, Tischläufer
- Laufschuhtype of soft-soled shoe
- Tischläuferstrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- Läuferlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- Läufersomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- Läuferinsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- Kufemechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
Greek δρομέας
- δρομέας (droméas)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Hebrew אָצָן
- אָצָן (atsán)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Hindi धावक, रनर
- धावक (dhāvak)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- रनर (ranar)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Hungarian futó
- futósomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Icelandic hlaupari
- hlauparisomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Irish brat reatha
- brat reathalong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
Italian passatoia, podista
- passatoialong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- podistasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- corridoresomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- corritricesomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Japanese スニーカー, ランナー
- スニーカー (sunīkā)type of soft-soled shoe
- ランナー (rannā)botany: long stolon
- 走者 (sōsha)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- ランナー (rannā)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Korean 운동화, 주자
- 운동화 (undonghwa)type of soft-soled shoe
- 주자 (juja)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Latin cursor
- cursorsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Latvian skrējējs, skrējēja
- skrējējssomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- skrējējasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Lithuanian bėgikas, bėgikė
- bėgikassomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- bėgikėsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Māori waetea, kaiomaoma
- waeteasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- kaiomaomasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Norwegian Bokmål løper, løper
- løperstrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- løperlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- mattelong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- utløperbotany: long stolon
- løpersomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- løpermechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
Norwegian Nynorsk laupar, løpar
- lauparlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- løparlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- løyparlong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
- mattelong, narrow carpet for a high traffic area
Persian دَوَندِه
- دَوَندِه (davande)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Polish adidas, trampek
- adidastype of soft-soled shoe
- trampektype of soft-soled shoe
- tenisówkatype of soft-soled shoe
- bieżnikstrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- biegaczsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- biegaczkasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Portuguese fuga, trilho
- fugaslang: quick escape away from a scene
- trilhostrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- centro de mesastrip of fabric used to decorate a table
- corredorsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- corredorasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Romanian stolon, alergător
- stolonbotany: long stolon
- alergătorsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- alergătoaresomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Russian курье́р, гоне́ц
- курье́р (kurʹjér)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- гоне́ц (gonéc)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- посы́льный (posýlʹnyj)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- посы́льная (posýlʹnaja)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- рассы́льный (rassýlʹnyj)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- рассы́льная (rassýlʹnaja)anyone sent on an errand or with communications
- кроссо́вка (krossóvka)type of soft-soled shoe
- бегуно́к (begunók)part of an apparatus that moves quickly
- побе́г (pobég)botany: long stolon
- бегу́н (begún)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- бегу́нья (begúnʹja)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- по́лоз (póloz)mechanical part intended to guide or aid something else to move
Slovak bežec, bežkyňa
- bežecsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- bežkyňasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Spanish corredor, corredora
- corredorsomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- corredorasomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Swedish sne(d)fitta, utlöpare
- sne(d)fittaslang: unevenly burning part of a cigarette
- utlöparebotany: long stolon
- löparesomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Tagalog sangansibol
- sangansibolbotany: long stolon
Thai นักวิ่ง
- นักวิ่ง (nák-wîng)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Turkish koşucu
- koşucusomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Ukrainian кросі́вка, бігу́н
- кросі́вка (krosívka)type of soft-soled shoe
- бігу́н (bihún)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
- бігу́нка (bihúnka)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Urdu رَنَر
- رَنَر (ranar)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Vietnamese người chạy
- người chạysomebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Yiddish לויפֿער
- לויפֿער (loyfer)somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with runner
All rhymes →Cite this entry
runner. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner
“runner.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “runner,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner.
Source: runner on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.