race
Other forms: races; racing; raced
Race means to speed or move quickly. A race is a contest to see who is moving the quickest. Race can also mean genetic grouping––if you are reading this, chances are you're a member of the "human race."
After watching an exciting horse race, your heart may be racing, meaning your pulse is moving fast. You may find yourself racing through your day if you have too much to do, or you might race a friend home from school to see which is fastest, walking or taking the bus. On a form that asks you your race, you will often be prompted with racial categories, such as Caucasian, African-American, or Native American.
Definitions of race
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a contest of speed“the race is to the swift”
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types:
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auto race, automobile race, car race
a race between (usually high-performance) automobiles
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bicycle race
a race between people riding bicycles
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boat race
a race between people rowing or driving boats
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burnup
a high-speed motorcycle race on a public road
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chariot race
a race between ancient chariots
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dog racing
a race between dogs; usually an occasion for betting on the outcome
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foot race, footrace, run
a race run on foot
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freestyle
a race (as in swimming) in which each contestant has a free choice of the style to use
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cross country
a long race run over open country
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heat
a preliminary race in which the winner advances to a more important race
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horse race
a contest of speed between horses; usually held for the purpose of betting
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potato race
a novelty race in which competitors move potatoes from one place to another one at a time
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sack race
a novelty race in which competitors jump ahead with their feet confined in a sack
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scratch race
a race in which all contestants start from scratch (on equal terms)
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ski race, skiing race
a race between people wearing skis
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relay, relay race
a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance
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repechage
a race (especially in rowing) in which runners-up in the eliminating heats compete for a place in the final race
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Grand Prix
one of several international races
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rally
an automobile race run over public roads
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Tour de France
a French bicycle race for professional cyclists that lasts three weeks and covers about 3,000 miles
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sailing-race, yacht race
a race between crews of people in yachts
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fun run, funrun
a footrace run for fun (often including runners who are sponsored for a charity)
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marathon
a foot race of 26 miles and 385 yards
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Iditarod, Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race
an important dogsled race run annually on the Iditarod Trail
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claiming race
a horse race in which each owner declares before the race at what price his horse will be offered for sale after the race
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selling race
a horse race in which the winning horse must be put up for auction
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harness race, harness racing
a horse race between people riding in sulkies behind horses that are trotting or pacing
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stake race
a horse race in which part of the prize is put up by the owners of the horses in the race
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steeplechase
a horse race over an obstructed course
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obstacle race
a race in which competitors must negotiate obstacles
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steeplechase
a footrace of usually 3000 meters over a closed track with hurdles and a water jump
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thoroughbred race
a race between thoroughbred horses
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downhill
a ski race down a trail
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slalom
a downhill race over a winding course defined by upright poles
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torch race
(ancient Greece) in which a torch is passed from one runner to the next
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track event
a footrace performed on a track (indoor or outdoor)
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derby
an annual horse race, especially one limited to three-year-old horses
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type of:
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competition, contest
an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants
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any competition“the race for the presidency”
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types:
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arms race
a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments
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campaign, political campaign, run
a race between candidates for elective office
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campaign for governor, governor's race
a race for election to the governorship
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senate campaign, senate race
a race for election to the senate
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type of:
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competition, contest
an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants
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compete in a race“let's race and see who gets there first”
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synonyms:
run
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types:
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show
finish third or better in a horse or dog race
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place
finish second or better in a horse or dog race
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boat-race
participate in a boat race
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horse-race
compete in a horse race
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campaign, run
run, stand, or compete for an office or a position
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speed skate
race on skates
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jockey
ride a racehorse as a professional jockey
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stump
travel through a district and make political speeches
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rerun
run again for office
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whistlestop
tour the country in order to solicit votes for an election
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cross-file, register
have one's name listed as a candidate for several parties
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move fast“The cars raced down the street”
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synonyms:
belt along, bucket along, cannonball along, hasten, hie, hotfoot, pelt along, rush, rush along, speed, step on it
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types:
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barge, push forward, thrust ahead
push one's way
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buck, charge, shoot, shoot down, tear
move quickly and violently
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dart, dash, flash, scoot, scud, shoot
run or move very quickly or hastily
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plunge
dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity
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rip
move precipitously or violently
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to work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others
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cause to move fast or to rush or race
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people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock“some biologists doubt that there are important genetic differences between races of human beings”
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color, colour, people of color, people of colour
a race with skin pigmentation different from the white race (especially Blacks)
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Herrenvolk, master race
a race that considers itself superior to all others and fitted to rule the others
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Black race, Negro race, Negroid race
a dark-skinned race
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Caucasian race, Caucasoid race, White people, White race
a light-skinned race
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Mongolian race, Mongoloid race, Yellow race
an Asian race
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Amerindian race, Indian race
usually included in the Mongoloid race
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Indian race
sometimes included in the Caucasian race; native to the subcontinent of India
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Slavic people, Slavic race
a race of people speaking a Slavonic language
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(biology) a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species
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synonyms:
subspecies
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type of:
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taxon, taxonomic category, taxonomic group
animal or plant group having natural relations
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taxon, taxonomic category, taxonomic group
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a canal for a current of water
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the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller
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synonyms:
airstream, backwash, slipstream, wash
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type of:
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flow
any uninterrupted stream or discharge
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flow
Pronunciation
US
/reɪs/
UK
/reɪs/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘race'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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