sense: meaning in context

run a temperature: to have a high body temperature

run the water: to allow water to pour out of a tap continuously

run something by someone: to ask someone’s opinion about something

a vocal run: the singing of one vowel sound with many notes

 

Did you know that the word “run” has many different meanings and senses. Some dictionaries list over 600 entries for this word. The most common verb meanings are “to advance quickly” and “to operate“. You can also “run a temperature”, “run the water”, and “run something by someone”. The word “run” can also be a noun. Maybe you are “going for a run” after work today. Or, maybe you’re singing a “vocal run”. Some dictionaries group similar meanings under a single entry. Others list distinct entries for each meaning. The verbs “put” and “set” are two other words that usually take up more than one page in a dictionary.