ENGLISH
REFERENCE

race

n. · v.
US //ˈɹeɪs// UK //ɹˈeɪs// race
  1. 1 speed competition (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    a competition to see who is the fastest at running, driving, or swimming.

    a contest of speed between runners, vehicles, or animals to determine who reaches a finish line first.

    Example

    She won the hundred-meter race by just a few seconds.

    Example

    The marathon is a gruelling race that tests both the physical endurance and the mental fortitude of the participants.
  2. 2 ethnic/social group (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a group of people who share the same history, language, or physical features.

    a classification system used to categorise humans into large and distinct populations or groups by heritable phenotypic characteristics or social history.

    Example

    The census asks people to identify their race and ethnic background.

    Example

    Sociologists argue that race is a social construct rather than a purely biological category, though it has profound effects on lived experience.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 fast water (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a very fast-moving current of water.

    a strong or rapid current of water in a river or the sea, or a channel specifically built to carry such a current.

    Example

    The old mill was powered by a fast-moving race of water from the river.

    Example

    The engineers designed a narrow race to divert the stream toward the turbine with maximum velocity.
  2. 4 to compete in speed (v.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    to take part in a competition of speed against others.

    to compete in a race; to engage in a contest of speed with a direct object or as an intransitive action.

    Example

    I will race you to the end of the street.

    Example

    The two professional drivers have raced against each other on circuits all over the world for over a decade.
  3. 5 to move very fast (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to move or go somewhere very quickly because you are in a hurry.

    to move or progress at high speed; often used to describe a racing heart or mind.

    Example

    He had to race to the station to catch the last train.

    Example

    Her heart began to race as she stepped onto the stage to deliver the keynote address to the waiting crowd.
  4. 6 computing error (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a mistake in a computer program where two parts try to use the same data at once.

    a race condition; a flaw in a system or process where the output or result is unexpectedly dependent on the sequence or timing of other events.

    Example

    The software crashed because of a race between two different tasks.

    Example

    Debugging a race condition is notoriously difficult because the error only manifests under specific, often irreproducible, timing circumstances.
Word family
Idioms9 entries

© 2026 English Reference