Added 8 October 2026
race
/ɹeɪs/ noun
In Latin: cursus, curriculum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about race at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc. where the goal is to be the first to reach some objective.
Several horses ran in a horse race: the first one to reach the finishing post won.
- Swift progress; rapid motion; an instance of moving or driving at high speed.
- A race condition; a bug or problem that occurs when two or more components attempt to use the same resource at the same time.
verb
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To take part in a race (in the sense of a contest).
The drivers were racing around the track.
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To compete against in a race (contest).
I raced him to the car, but he was there first, so he got to ride shotgun.
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To move or drive at high speed; to hurry or speed.
As soon as it was time to go home, he raced for the door.
noun
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A group of sentient beings, particularly people, distinguished by common ancestry, heritage or characteristics (see Wikipedia's article on historical definitions of race):
The Canadian race is one of the most vigorous on the globe.
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A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of a common heritage.
The Canadian race is one of the most vigorous on the globe.
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A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of common physical characteristics, such as skin color or hair type.
Race was a significant issue during apartheid in South Africa.
verb
Origin
From Middle English race, partially from Old English rǣs (“a race, swift or violent running, rush, onset”), from Proto-West Germanic *rās; and partially from Old Norse rás (“a running, race”); both from Proto-Germanic *rēsō (“a course”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁s- (“to flow, rush”). Cognate with Middle Low German râs ("a strong current"; whence German Low German Raas (“mad rush, rage, fury”)), Dutch ras (“a strong whirling current”), Danish ræs, Norwegian and Swedish ras, Norwegian rås.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)