runner
runner — noun
1. a person who runs, either for exercise and enjoyment or as an entrant in a foot
a person who runs, either for exercise and enjoyment or as an entrant in a foot race.
Asher trains every morning at six because he wants to be a faster long-distance runner.
modifier pattern: [adjective] + runner
There were over five thousand runners at the start line of the Taipei Marathon.
plural runners for a race field
Gabriela was the first runner to cross the finish line at the school sports day.
My grandmother was a keen runner well into her seventies.
Coach Omar told the slower runners to drink water before they started the second lap.
文法句型
[noun] runner
runner in [race/event]
用法筆記
Often modified by an adjective showing the type or skill (long-distance runner, keen runner, fast runner). Subject of a race-related verb such as 'finish', 'cross', 'complete'.
常見錯誤
2. a horse that is taking part in a particular race.
a horse that is taking part in a particular race.
There are only six runners in the two o'clock race at Ascot today.
[number] + runners + in + [race]
Quan studied the form guide before betting on a runner with long odds.
The trainer pulled his runner from the Derby after the horse hurt its leg.
Yuki cheered loudly as her favourite runner came around the final bend.
- competitor
any entrant in a race, human or animal
- entry
the formal name on the race card
- non-runner
a horse withdrawn before the race starts
文法句型
runner in [race]
[number] runners
用法筆記
Belongs to horse-racing reporting and betting talk. Distinguish from sense 1 (a person who runs) — context (race meeting, trainer, odds) signals the horse meaning.
3. a junior employee paid to carry papers, money, or short messages between people
a junior employee paid to carry papers, money, or short messages between people in an office, a courtroom, a film set, or a similar place.
Aarav started in the law firm as a runner, fetching files between the courtrooms and the office.
start as a runner
The film crew hired Élise as a runner to bring coffee and scripts to the actors.
hire someone as a runner
Send the runner upstairs with these contracts before the meeting ends.
Defne worked as a runner for a big trading firm during her summer holidays.
文法句型
runner for [person/group]
work as a runner
用法筆記
The role is usually entry-level and physical (carrying things, going place to place). Common in law, finance, and film-set contexts. The person being served is named with 'for' (a runner for the bank).
常見錯誤
4. a soft shoe with a flexible sole, used for running and other sports.
a soft shoe with a flexible sole, used for running and other sports.
Zola put on her runners and headed to the park for a quick jog.
put on + runners
These runners have a soft sole that protects my knees on long routes.
You will need a pair of runners and shorts for the PE class on Friday.
Wren bought a new pair of runners for the school cross-country race.
- trainers
British English equivalent
- sneakers
American English equivalent
- running shoes
neutral, used everywhere
文法句型
a pair of runners
wear runners
用法筆記
Mainly Australian and Irish English; American speakers say 'sneakers' or 'running shoes', British speakers usually say 'trainers'. Almost always plural in everyday use.
常見錯誤
5. in rugby, American football, and baseball, a player who is moving with the ball
in rugby, American football, and baseball, a player who is moving with the ball or trying to reach the next base.
Two defenders tackled the runner just before he reached the end zone.
tackle the runner
Christopher threw the ball to first base and caught the runner stealing.
catch the runner stealing (baseball)
The fly half passed quickly to the runner on his outside.
With two runners on base, Justin stepped up to bat in the ninth inning.
- ball carrier
the rugby and American football term
- base runner
the baseball-specific term
- tackler
the defensive player trying to stop the runner
文法句型
the runner [verb]
tackle/catch the runner
用法筆記
Sports context distinguishes this from sense 1: rugby/football refers to the ball carrier; baseball refers to a player on base. The verbs 'tackle', 'catch', 'pass to', and 'on base' are reliable signals.
6. a long, narrow strip — usually metal — fixed under a sledge, ice skate, or drawe
a long, narrow strip — usually metal — fixed under a sledge, ice skate, or drawer to let it slide smoothly along a surface.
Hyun waxed the runners of his sledge so it would glide faster down the snowy hill.
runners of a sledge
The drawer would not open because one of its runners had bent out of shape.
runners of a drawer
Olivia sharpened the runners on her ice skates the night before the competition.
The old kitchen cupboard sat on metal runners that let it slide out from the wall.
文法句型
the runners of [a sledge/drawer]
on runners
用法筆記
Always refers to a part you can see, not a whole object. Often plural (a sledge has two runners). Check the context — kitchen, workshop, or winter sports — to know which kind of runner is meant.
7. a thin piece of fabric, usually long and rectangular, laid down the middle of a
a thin piece of fabric, usually long and rectangular, laid down the middle of a dining table to make it look nicer.
Camille spread a linen runner down the centre of the table before placing the candles.
collocation: spread / lay a runner down the table
The hotel uses red velvet runners on every table during the December banquets.
plural countable noun in a decor context
Iris bought a hand-stitched runner from a small shop in Kyoto for her dining room.
A narrow cotton runner softened the long wooden surface where the guests would eat.
- table runner
the explicit compound; clearer than 'runner' alone in many contexts
文法句型
a runner of [material]
table runner
用法筆記
Often appears as the compound 'table runner'. Distinguish from sense 8 (a runner on the floor or stairs) — this one sits on top of furniture.
8. a thin, slender carpet stretched down a hallway floor or fitted up the steps of
a thin, slender carpet stretched down a hallway floor or fitted up the steps of a staircase, both to protect what is underneath and to add some colour.
A faded blue runner stretched the full length of the upstairs corridor.
collocation: runner stretches / runs along [a corridor]
Vikram nailed a striped wool runner to each step so the children would not slip.
fix / nail / lay a runner on the stairs
The old hotel still had a worn green runner climbing the marble staircase.
Anong rolled up the hallway runner before the movers arrived with the boxes.
- carpet runner
the fuller compound; emphasises that it is a strip of carpet
- stair runner
specifically the kind fitted to a staircase
文法句型
a runner along [the hallway / the stairs]
用法筆記
Subject is usually placed in a hallway, on stairs, or down a long corridor — never on top of a table (that is sense 7). Often modified by colour or material adjectives ('blue', 'wool', 'striped').
9. a thin stem that a plant pushes out sideways across the soil; where the stem tou
a thin stem that a plant pushes out sideways across the soil; where the stem touches the ground, new roots and a new plant grow.
Strawberry plants send out runners that quickly take root and form fresh fruit beds.
collocation: send out / put out runners
Eli pinned each spider plant runner into a small pot of damp compost.
context: gardening, propagation
Mint will spread across an entire flower bed by sending runners under the soil.
Shirin trimmed back the runners to stop the strawberries from invading the lettuce row.
- stolon
the formal botanical term for the same structure
文法句型
send out runners
spread by runners
用法筆記
Usually plural: a single plant produces several runners at once. Frequently paired with verbs of growth or spreading ('send out', 'put out', 'spread by'). Common with strawberries, mint, spider plants.
10. a person whose job is to carry banned items — for example narcotics, firearms, o
a person whose job is to carry banned items — for example narcotics, firearms, or untaxed tobacco — between locations on behalf of a larger criminal group.
Police arrested two teenage drug runners at the train station on Friday night.
common compound: drug runner / gun runner
Rafael was paid in cash to act as a runner between the supplier and the city dealers.
act as a runner / work as a runner for [someone]
The gang used young runners on bicycles because the police rarely stopped them.
Tendai spent a year as a cigarette runner along the border before he was caught.
文法句型
a runner for [a gang/dealer]
drug/gun runner
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by the type of contraband: 'drug runner', 'gun runner', 'cigarette runner'. The runner is usually a low-level worker, not the boss. Distinguish from sense 3 (a legal messenger): this sense is criminal and informal.