runnings

Runnings is a plural form that appears primarily as an informal or dialectal use of the noun derived from the verb running. It is not a standard term in most formal dictionaries, where the more common plural in everyday English is runs or instances of running. When used, runnings typically refers to multiple episodes, sessions, or occasions of running, rather than a single recognized concept.

Etymology and sense development

The word running functions as a gerund or deverbal noun meaning the act of moving on foot at speed. Adding -s to form runnings treats it like a regular plural noun in English, but this pluralization is uncommon outside casual speech, regional dialects, or specific occupational jargons. In these contexts, runnings can emphasize a sequence or repetition of running events rather than the characteristics of a single run.

Usage in context

In sports and fitness discourse, runnings may appear in informal narration to describe several running sessions or portions of a training plan, though standard phrasing would usually use runs or training sessions. In music or other arts, runnings is occasionally encountered in older or dialectal writing to describe running passages or melodic lines, yet runs or flourishes are the more typical terms. In manufacturing or production history, some older or regional documents may use runnings to denote successive production runs or batches, though this is not common modern usage.

See also

Running, Run (disambiguation), Production run, Run (sports term)

Notes

Because runnings is not widely standardized, its meaning is highly dependent on context and regional usage. In formal writing, it is usually safer to substitute runs or specific descriptors like sessions, passages, or batches.