runner
B1Neutral (used in all registers from everyday to technical)
Definition
Meaning
A person or thing that runs, especially a person who runs in races or as a form of exercise.
A plant stem that grows along the ground and produces new roots and shoots (e.g., strawberry runner). A long, narrow carpet or decorative cloth for a table, shelf, or floor. A device or part, such as a blade on a skate, that slides or glides. A person who carries messages or conducts business on behalf of someone else.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a highly polysemous agent noun derived from 'run'. Its meaning heavily depends on context (sports, botany, manufacturing, smuggling). It often implies motion, progression, or a connecting/mediating function.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal core difference. In business contexts, 'runner-up' (second place) is universal. In smuggling/trafficking, 'drug runner' is common in both, but 'gun runner' might have slightly higher frequency in US media.
Connotations
In US sports media, 'runner' can have a slightly more professional/competitive connotation compared to the more general UK usage, which also comfortably covers casual joggers.
Frequency
Comparatively high and similar in both varieties due to core sports meaning and common extended uses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
runner for + organisation/personrunner in + race/competitionrunner from + place/originrunner on + surface/trackrunner of + drugs/contrabandVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “front runner (leading contender)”
- “do a runner (BrE: leave hastily to avoid paying or trouble)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a junior employee who performs errands or assists ('office runner'). Also in 'front runner' for a leading candidate.
Academic
Used in botany/biology ('stolon, runner'), sports science ('endurance runner'), and sociology ('drug runner').
Everyday
Primarily a person who runs for sport/exercise. Also for a 'table runner' or 'carpet runner' in domestic contexts.
Technical
In manufacturing: a channel for molten metal; part of a machine that moves along a track. In skiing/skating: the blade itself.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is a fast runner.
- The runner won the race.
- We have a new rug runner in the hall.
- He's training to be a marathon runner.
- The strawberry plant sent out a long runner.
- The front runner in the election is well-known.
- The prosecution alleged he acted as a money runner for the organisation.
- The sledge's metal runners glided smoothly over the ice.
- After the meal, they did a runner without paying the bill.
- The film is the front runner for the Best Picture award.
- The mould was designed with multiple runners to ensure even filling.
- He worked his way up from being an office runner to a senior manager.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a RUNNER bean: the plant RUNS along the ground, and a person RUNs on a track. Both are 'runners'.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A RACE / PROGRESS IS FORWARD MOTION (e.g., 'front runner in the polls'). A MEDIATOR IS A CONVEYOR (e.g., 'message runner').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'runner' as 'бегун' for non-human contexts (e.g., 'table runner' is 'дорожка', not 'бегун').
- 'Do a runner' (BrE idiom) has no direct equivalent; translating word-for-word will confuse.
- In botany, 'runner' is 'ус' (for strawberries), not a direct cognate.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'runner' for a car driver (use 'driver').
- Confusing 'runner' with 'jogger' (a jogger is a type of runner, usually recreational).
- Using 'runner-up' to mean champion (it means second place).
Practice
Quiz
In British informal English, what does the phrase 'do a runner' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'runner' is a general term for anyone who runs. A 'jogger' specifically implies running at a slow, steady, recreational pace, not competitively.
Yes. Common examples include a 'table runner' (a long, narrow cloth), a 'carpet runner' (for hallways), and the 'runners' on a sledge or skate (the blades it moves on).
It means a person or team that finishes in second place in a competition.
Yes. It can refer to a junior employee who runs errands or assists ('office runner'). More metaphorically, 'front runner' refers to the leading candidate in a competition, such as for a job or contract.
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