Run

Run is a versatile English word that functions as both a verb and a noun, with additional specialized meanings in sports, manufacturing, geography, and computing. The term traces to Old English rinnan, meaning to flow or move swiftly.

As a verb, run commonly means to move rapidly on foot. It can also denote causing something to operate, as when a machine, program, or business runs. The verb covers the continuation of a process, such as running a faucet, running a route, or running a course. It can also express competing in an election, for example, running for office.

As a noun, a run is the act or distance of running and a period of operation, such as a production run. In sports, a run is a scored point in baseball or cricket. A run can describe a ladder or tear in hosiery. It also denotes a small stream in parts of North America and a sequence or streak, such as a run of good luck. In computing, a program run is an execution, and runtime refers to the time taken to run.

Other uses include the phrase bank run, referring to a sudden surge of withdrawals from a financial institution, and run as a generic term for a continuous stretch of items or events in various domains. The word’s broad applicability reflects its core sense of movement, duration, and sequence.