RACE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does race mean? 

• RACE (noun)
  The noun RACE has 6 senses:

1. any competition

2. a contest of speed

3. people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock

4. (biology) a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species

5. the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller

6. a canal for a current of water

  Familiarity information: RACE used as a noun is common.

• RACE (verb)
  The verb RACE has 4 senses:

1. move hurridly

2. compete in a race

3. to work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others

4. cause to move fast or to rush or race

  Familiarity information: RACE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RACE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any competition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

the race for the presidency

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

competition; contest (an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "race"):

arms race (a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments)

campaign; political campaign; run (a race between candidates for elective office)

Derivation:

race (compete in a race)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A contest of speed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

the race is to the swift

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

competition; contest (an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "race"):

bicycle race; bike race (a race between people riding bicycles)

repechage (a race (especially in rowing) in which runners-up in the eliminating heats compete for a place in the final race)

relay; relay race (a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance)

ski race; skiing race (a race between people wearing skis)

scratch race (a race in which all contestants start from scratch (on equal terms))

sack race (a novelty race in which competitors jump ahead with their feet confined in a sack)

potato race (a novelty race in which competitors move potatoes from one place to another one at a time)

horse race (a contest of speed between horses; usually held for the purpose of betting)

heat (a preliminary race in which the winner advances to a more important race)

freestyle (a race (as in swimming) in which each contestant has a free choice of the style to use)

foot race; footrace; run (a race run on foot)

dog racing (a race between dogs; usually an occasion for betting on the outcome)

chariot race (a race between ancient chariots)

burnup (a high-speed motorcycle race on a public road)

boat race (a race between people rowing or driving boats)

auto race; automobile race; car race (a race between (usually high-performance) automobiles)

cross country (a long race run over open country)

Derivation:

race (compete in a race)

racy (designed or suitable for competing in a race)

Sense 3

Meaning:

People who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

some biologists doubt that there are important genetic differences between races of human beings

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

group; grouping (any number of entities (members) considered as a unit)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "race"):

Herrenvolk; master race (a race that considers itself superior to all others and fitted to rule the others)

Derivation:

racial (of or related to genetically distinguished groups of people)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(biology) a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

race; subspecies

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

taxon; taxonomic category; taxonomic group (animal or plant group having natural relations)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

airstream; backwash; race; slipstream; wash

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

flow (any uninterrupted stream or discharge)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A canal for a current of water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

race; raceway

Hypernyms ("race" is a kind of...):

canal (long and narrow strip of water made for boats or for irrigation)

• RACE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they race    ... he / she / it races   
Past simple: raced   
Past participle: raced   
-ing form: racing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move hurridly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

belt along; bucket along; cannonball along; hasten; hie; hotfoot; pelt along; race; rush; rush along; speed; step on it

Context example:

The cars raced down the street

Hypernyms (to "race" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "race"):

barge; push forward; thrust ahead (push one's way)

buck; charge; shoot; shoot down; tear (move quickly and violently)

dart; dash; flash; scoot; scud; shoot (run or move very quickly or hastily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

They race up the hill

Sense 2

Meaning:

Compete in a race

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

race; run

Context example:

let's race and see who gets there first

Hypernyms (to "race" is one way to...):

compete; contend; vie (compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "race"):

show (finish third or better in a horse or dog race)

place (finish second or better in a horse or dog race)

boat-race (participate in a boat race)

horse-race (compete in a horse race)

campaign; run (run, stand, or compete for an office or a position)

speed skate (race on skates)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

These cars won't race

Derivation:

race (a contest of speed)

race (any competition)

racer (an animal that races)

racer (a fast car that competes in races)

racing (the sport of engaging in contests of speed)

Sense 3

Meaning:

To work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

We are racing to find a cure for AIDS

Hypernyms (to "race" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to move fast or to rush or race

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

race; rush

Context example:

The psychologist raced the rats through a long maze

Hypernyms (to "race" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They race the car down the avenue

Derivation:

racer (someone who drives racing cars at high speeds)

 Context examples 

I raced aft, putting the wheel up.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Terminology codelist used to identify the race of an individual within the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium Study Data Tabulation Model.

(CDISC SDTM Race Terminology, NCI Thesaurus)

“The race that one has started in,” said he.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Having ancestors of several or various races.

(Multiracial, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by hair density or length beyond the accepted limits of normal in a particular body region, for a particular age or race.

(Hypertrichosis, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

As compared with the Indians he had known, they were to him another race of beings, a race of superior gods.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"I was not expecting this", said Kosgei after the race.

(Kenya's Brigid Kosgei sets new world record at Chicago Marathon, Wikinews)

After accounting for age, sex, race and baseline weight, the researchers found that the people who lost the least weight during the calorie-reduced period were those whose metabolism decreased the most during fasting.

(Ease of weight loss influenced by individual biology, NIH)

They only tested women of European descent, so more work needs to be done involving women of other races and ethnic origins.

(New Genetic Discovery May Eventually End Premature Birth, VOA)

On no possible supposition can we explain the evolution of such a race in this place.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)