To run down

To run down
Run Run, v. t. 1. To cause to run (in the various senses of {Run}, v. i.); as, to run a horse; to run a stage; to run a machine; to run a rope through a block. [1913 Webster]

2. To pursue in thought; to carry in contemplation. [1913 Webster]

To run the world back to its first original. --South. [1913 Webster]

I would gladly understand the formation of a soul, and run it up to its ``punctum saliens.'' --Collier. [1913 Webster]

3. To cause to enter; to thrust; as, to run a sword into or through the body; to run a nail into the foot. [1913 Webster]

You run your head into the lion's mouth. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

Having run his fingers through his hair. --Dickens. [1913 Webster]

4. To drive or force; to cause, or permit, to be driven. [1913 Webster]

They ran the ship aground. --Acts xxvii. 41. [1913 Webster]

A talkative person runs himself upon great inconveniences by blabbing out his own or other's secrets. --Ray. [1913 Webster]

Others, accustomed to retired speculations, run natural philosophy into metaphysical notions. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

5. To fuse; to shape; to mold; to cast; as, to run bullets, and the like. [1913 Webster]

The purest gold must be run and washed. --Felton. [1913 Webster]

6. To cause to be drawn; to mark out; to indicate; to determine; as, to run a line. [1913 Webster]

7. To cause to pass, or evade, offical restrictions; to smuggle; -- said of contraband or dutiable goods. [1913 Webster]

Heavy impositions . . . are a strong temptation of running goods. --Swift. [1913 Webster]

8. To go through or accomplish by running; as, to run a race; to run a certain career. [1913 Webster]

9. To cause to stand as a candidate for office; to support for office; as, to run some one for Congress. [Colloq. U.S.] [1913 Webster]

10. To encounter or incur, as a danger or risk; as, to run the risk of losing one's life. See To run the chances, below. ``He runneth two dangers.'' --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. --Dan Quail . [PJC]

11. To put at hazard; to venture; to risk. [1913 Webster]

He would himself be in the Highlands to receive them, and run his fortune with them. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

12. To discharge; to emit; to give forth copiously; to be bathed with; as, the pipe or faucet runs hot water. [1913 Webster]

At the base of Pompey's statua, Which all the while ran blood, great C[ae]sar fell. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

13. To be charged with, or to contain much of, while flowing; as, the rivers ran blood. [1913 Webster]

14. To conduct; to manage; to carry on; as, to run a factory or a hotel. [Colloq. U.S.] [1913 Webster]

15. To tease with sarcasms and ridicule. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

16. To sew, as a seam, by passing the needle through material in a continuous line, generally taking a series of stitches on the needle at the same time. [1913 Webster]

17. To migrate or move in schools; -- said of fish; esp., to ascend a river in order to spawn. [1913 Webster]

18. (Golf) To strike (the ball) in such a way as to cause it to run along the ground, as when approaching a hole. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

{To run a blockade}, to get to, or away from, a blockaded port in safety.

{To run down}. (a) (Hunting) To chase till the object pursued is captured or exhausted; as, to run down a stag. (b) (Naut.) To run against and sink, as a vessel. (c) To crush; to overthrow; to overbear. ``Religion is run down by the license of these times.'' --Berkeley. (d) To disparage; to traduce. --F. W. Newman.

{To run hard}. (a) To press in competition; as, to run one hard in a race. (b) To urge or press importunately. (c) To banter severely.

{To run into the ground}, to carry to an absurd extreme; to overdo. [Slang, U.S.] (c) To erect hastily, as a building. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • run down — {v.} (stress on down ) 1. To crash against and knock down or sink. * /Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother./ * /It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port./ Compare: RUN INTO(3a) …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • run down — {v.} (stress on down ) 1. To crash against and knock down or sink. * /Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother./ * /It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port./ Compare: RUN INTO(3a) …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • run-down — ˈrun down adjective PROPERTY a building or area that is run down is in very bad condition: • We have a contract to renovate five run down apartment buildings. * * * Ⅰ. run down UK US (also rundown) /ˌrʌnˈdaʊn/ adjective ► PROPERTY …   Financial and business terms

  • run|down — «RUHN DOWN», noun. Informal. an account; summary: »a rundown of the week s news. The speaker gave a brief rundown on his career. run down «adjective. RUHN DOWN; noun. RUHN DOWN», adjective, noun. –adj. 1. tired; sick: »If you are generally “run… …   Useful english dictionary

  • run-down — adj 1.) a building or area that is run down is in very bad condition ▪ a run down inner city area 2.) [not before noun] someone who is run down is tired and not healthy ▪ You look a bit run down …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • run-down — /run down /, adj. 1. fatigued; weary; exhausted. 2. in a state of poor health: He was in a run down condition from months of overwork. 3. in neglected condition; fallen into disrepair: a run down house. 4. (of a spring operated device) not… …   Universalium

  • run down someone — run down (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something. We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down something — run down (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something. We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down — (someone/something) 1. to search for and find someone or something. We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them. The… …   New idioms dictionary

  • run down (something) — 1. to explain something. I ll run down my research quickly. T. J. ran it all down for him, explaining the different costs of each option. 2. to reduce something. We are going to start running down our savings if prices don t stop rising. I want… …   New idioms dictionary

  • run-down — adjective 1. ) so tired that you do not feel well: Evie had been working too hard and was feeling run down. 2. ) in bad condition because no one has spent money on repairs: This area of San Francisco is poor and run down …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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