Ran (r?n)n. Norse Mythology The goddess of the sea.[Old Norse R?n.]ran (r?n)v.Past tense of run.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.ran (ræn) vb the past tense of runRAN abbreviation for (Military) Royal Australian Navy Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014run (r?n) v. ran, run, run?ning, n., adj. v.i. 1. to go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at a walk and in such a manner that for an instant in each step all or both feet are off the ground. 2. to move or pass quickly. 3. to depart quickly; flee. 4. to have recourse for aid, comfort, etc.: He is always running to his parents. 5. to make a quick trip or visit: to run up to New York. 6. to move freely and without restraint: to run about in the park. 7. to move or roll forward: The ball ran into the street. 8. a. to take part in a race or contest. b. to finish a race in a specified sequence: The horse ran second. c. to advance a football by carrying it, as opposed to throwing or passing it. 9. to be a candidate for election. 10. (of fish) to migrate, as upstream or inshore for spawning. 11. (of a ship) to be sailed or driven from a proper or given route: to run aground. 12. to ply between places: The bus runs between New Haven and Hartford. 13. to creep, trail, or climb, as growing vines. 14. to unravel, as stitches or a fabric. 15. to flow in or as if in a stream: Tears ran from her eyes. 16. to include a specific range of variations: Your work runs from fair to bad. 17. to spread on being applied to a surface, as a liquid. 18. to undergo a spreading of colors: materials that run when washed. 19. to operate or function: the noise of a dishwasher running. 20. to encounter a certain condition: to run into trouble. 21. to amount; total: The bill ran to $100. 22. to be stated or worded: The text runs as follows. 23. Law. a. to have legal force or effect, as a writ. b. to go along: The easement runs with the land. 24. to continue, extend, or stretch: The story runs for eight pages. 25. to appear in print: The story ran in all the papers. 26. to be performed: The play ran for two years. 27. to last: The movie runs for three hours. 28. to spread rapidly: The news ran all over town. 29. to recur persistently: Musical ability runs in my family. 30. to tend to have a specified quality, form, etc.: This novel runs to long descriptions. 31. to be of a certain size, number, etc.: Potatoes are running large this year. 32. to sail before the wind. v.t. 33. to move along (a surface, path, etc.): She ran her fingers over the keyboard. 34. to traverse (a distance) in running: He ran the mile in under four minutes. 35. to perform or accomplish by or as if by running: to run an errand; to run a race. 36. to ride or cause to gallop. 37. to enter in a race. 38. to pursue or hunt, as game: to run deer on foot. 39. to drive (an animal): to run a fox to cover. 40. to cause to ply: to run a ferry between New York and New Jersey. 41. to convey or transport: I’ll run you home in my car. 42. to cause to pass quickly: He ran a comb through his hair. 43. to get past or through: to run a blockade. 44. to disregard (a red traffic light) and continue ahead without stopping. 45. to smuggle (contraband goods). 46. to operate or drive: Can you run a tractor? 47. to print or publish: The paper ran the story on page one. 48. to allow (a ship, automobile, etc.) to depart from a proper or given route: ran the car up on the curb. 49. to sponsor as a candidate for election. 50. to manage or conduct: to run a business. 51. to process (the instructions in a program) by computer. 52. (in some games, as billiards) to continue or complete (a series of successful shots, strokes, or the like). 53. to expose oneself to (danger, a risk, etc.). 54. to cause (a liquid) to flow. 55. to fill (a tub or bath) with water. 56. to pour forth or discharge (a liquid). 57. to cause to move freely: to run a rope in a pulley. 58. to cause (a golf ball) to roll forward after landing from a stroke. 59. to sew in a running stitch. 60. to cause stitches in (a knitted fabric) to unravel: to run a stocking. 61. to bring or lead into a certain condition: They ran themselves into debt. 62. to drive, force, or thrust. 63. to graze; pasture. 64. to extend in a particular direction or to a given place: to run a cable under the road. 65. to cause to fuse and flow, as metal. 66. to cost (an amount): This watch runs $30. 67. to cost (a person) an amount: The car repair will run you $90. 68. run across, to meet or find accidentally. 69. run after, a. to chase or pursue. b. to seek to acquire. 70. run along, to leave; go away: Run along, little girl. 71. run around, a. to engage in many and varied activities. b. to be engaged in more than one romantic involvement. 72. run away, to flee or escape, esp. with no intent to return. 73. run away with, a. to go away with, esp. to elope with. b. to abscond with; steal. c. to surpass others in. d. to get by surpassing others, as a prize. e. to overwhelm; get the better of: Sometimes his enthusiasm runs away with him. 74. run down, a. to strike and overturn, esp. with a vehicle. b. to chase after and seize: to run down criminals. c. to read through quickly. d. to cease operation; stop. e. to speak disparagingly of. f. to search out; find: to run down information. g. Baseball. to tag out (a base runner) between bases. 75. run in, a. to pay a casual visit. b. to arrest. c. Also, run on. to add (matter) to text without indenting. 76. run into, a. to collide with. b. to meet accidentally. c. to amount to; total. d. to become contiguous or virtually intermingled: one year running into the next. 77. run in with, to sail close to (a coast, vessel, etc.). 78. run off, a. to leave quickly; run away. b. to create quickly and easily: to run off a term paper in an hour. c. to drive away; expel. d. to print or duplicate: to run off 500 copies. 79. run off with, a. to steal; abscond with. b. to elope with. 80. run on, a. to continue without relief or interruption. b. to add at the end of a text. 81. run out, a. to terminate; expire. b. to become used up. c. to drive out; expel. 82. run out of, to use up a supply of. 83. run out on, to withdraw one’s support from; abandon. 84. run over, a. to hit and drive over with a vehicle, esp. so as to injure severely. b. to go beyond; exceed: His speech ran over the time limit. c. to repeat; review: Let’s run over that song again. d. to overflow, as a container. 85. run through, a. to pierce or stab, as with a sword. b. to consume or squander. c. to practice or rehearse. 86. run up, a. to sew rapidly. b. to amass; incur: running up huge debts. c. to cause to increase; raise: to run up costs. d. to build, esp. hurriedly. 87. run with, a. to proceed with: If the board likes the idea, we’ll run with it. b. to carry out with enthusiasm or speed. n. 88. an act or instance of running: a five-minute run. 89. a fleeing; flight. 90. a running pace. 91. an act or instance of moving rapidly, as in a boat or automobile. 92. the distance covered, as by running or racing. 93. the distance a golf ball rolls after landing from a stroke. 94. a quick trip. 95. a routine or regular trip. 96. any portion of a military flight during which the aircraft flies directly toward the target in order to begin its attack: a strafing run. 97. the rapid movement, under its own power, of an aircraft on a runway, water, or another surface. 98. a period of continuous operation of a machine. 99. the amount of anything produced in such a period: a daily run of 400,000 gallons of paint. 100. pressrun. 101. a place in knitted work where a series of stitches have come undone. 102. the direction of something or of its elements: the run of the grain in wood. 103. trend or tendency: the normal run of events. 104. freedom to move around in or use something: to have the run of the house. 105. a continuous series of performances or presentations: a run of two years on Broadway. 106. an uninterrupted course or spell: a run of good luck. 107. a continuous extent of something, as a vein of ore. 108. an uninterrupted series or sequence: a run of 10 winning games. 109. a sequence of cards in a given suit: run of hearts. 110. any extensive and continued demand: a run on umbrellas. 111. a series of sudden and urgent demands for payment, as on a bank. 112. a period of being in demand or favor. 113. a small stream; brook; rivulet. 114. a flow or rush, as of oil or water. 115. a kind or class, as of goods. 116. the typical or ordinary kind. 117. an inclined course, as on a slope: a bobsled run. 118. a trough or pipe for water or the like. 119. a large enclosure for domestic animals: a sheep run. 120. the usual trail of a group of animals: a deer run. 121. the movement of fish upstream or inshore, as for spawning. 122. a number of animals moving together. 123. Music. a rapid succession of notes; scale. 124. Baseball. the score unit made by safely running around all the bases and reaching home plate. 125. a series of successful shots, strokes, or the like in a game. 126. the runs, (used with a sing. or pl. v.) Informal. diarrhea. adj. 127. melted or liquefied: run butter. 128. poured in a melted state, as into a mold: run bronze. Idioms: 1. in the long run, in the course of long experience. 2. in the short run, in the near or immediate future. 3. on the run, a. scurrying about to perform one’s activities. b. while rushing to get somewhere: eating breakfast on the run. c. moving from place to place so as to hide from the police. 4. run afoul of, a. Naut. to collide with so as to cause damage and entanglement. b. to encounter or engender the animosity of; anger: to run afoul of the law. 5. run a fever or temperature, to have or be affected by a fever. 6. run for it, to flee hurriedly, esp. to escape danger. 7. run scared, to be apprehensive about one’s personal or professional survival. 8. run short, to be in insufficient supply: My patience is running short. 9. run wild, a. to grow unchecked. b. to behave with lack of restraint or control. [before 900; (v.) Middle English rinnen, rennen, partly