runners
|run-ners|
🇺🇸
/ˈrʌnərz/
🇬🇧
/ˈrʌnəz/
(runner)
one who runs
Etymology
'runner' originates from Middle English 'runner', formed from the verb 'run' + agent suffix '-er' (meaning 'one who runs').
'runner' developed in Middle English from Old English verb forms related to 'run' (Old English 'rinnan' or related Germanic forms) and the productive agent suffix '-er', eventually becoming the modern English 'runner'.
Initially it meant 'one who runs' (literal sense); over time it broadened to include related senses such as a person who performs errands, strips of carpet, sliding parts, smugglers, and botanical stolons.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
people who run, especially as a sport or for exercise; participants in races or running events.
Many runners took part in the city marathon.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
workers employed to run errands or perform low-level tasks on a film/TV set, in an office, or for a company.
The production hired several runners to fetch equipment and deliver messages.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a long, narrow piece of carpet used in a hallway or on stairs (hall runner).
They laid bright red runners down the corridor for the event.
Synonyms
Noun 4
a sliding or guiding part that allows movement, such as the rails or slides in drawers or machinery.
The drawers have metal runners to make them slide smoothly.
Synonyms
Noun 5
a person who transports illegal goods (e.g., a drug runner or gun runner).
Police arrested several runners involved in the smuggling ring.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/17 10:27