run in

See also: run-in

English

Adjective

run in (not generally comparable, comparative more run in, superlative most run in)

1. Alternative form of run-in (adj) (styled open when in predicative position)
   1. (participial adjective; editing, typography) (not comparable) Having been run in before or behind previous text.

      These headings are run in because a free-hanging style would just be a waste of column inches.

      Antonym: free-hanging

      • 1956, Daniel Melcher, Nancy Larrick, Printing and Promotion Handbook:

        One of the best headings for saving space is the heading that is run in.

      • 1976, American Institute of Physics, Editorial Handbook, page 17:

        Third subheadings begin paragraphs (are indented and run in).

      • 1985 April 16, Charles Anderson, “The Ins and Outs of Indexing”, in PC Mag, volume 4, number 8, page 322:

        You can select how far you want subentries indented, how many lines between each entry and alphabetical block, and whether you want the final index indented (each sub- and sub-subheading indented under its parent) or run in (subheadings in paragraph form under the main heading).

      • 1987, Rachel Morgan, Henry McGilton, Introducing UNIX System V, page 333:

        Heading levels 3 through 7 are run in headings — the text that follows the heading appears on the same line as the heading.

      • 2019, Editorial staff, “Guide to Authors”, in Nagoya Journal of Medical Science‎^[1], archived from the original on 2021-12-23:

        Secondary headings are flush left, in regular type, and capitalized headline style. Tertiary headings are run in at the beginning of a paragraph, in bold type, capitalized sentence style, and followed by a period.

   2. (participial adjective; mechanical, engineering) (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts.
      • 1978, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, International Symposium on Theory and Practice in Transport Economics The Contribution of Economic Research to Transport Policy Decisions, page 64:

        Behaviour patterns now thoroughly "run in", and financial stringencies, appear to impose sharp limits on the prospects of success here.

      • 1978, John E. Bingham, Garth W.P. Davies, A Handbook of Systems Analysis, page 35:

        In addition to the above, the systems analyst should go on shift with the users for the first few days or longer until the system is thoroughly run in.

      • 1993 December, T.S., “Long-Term Test cars”, in Popular Mechanics, volume 170, number 12, page 112:

        Now that the engine is thoroughly run in, our overall fuel economy is creeping toward the high 22-mpg range.

      • 2012, Victor W. Page, Early Motorcycles: Construction, Operation and Repair, page 487:

        Under no circumstances run a new motor at high speed until it has covered several hundred miles and is thoroughly “run in.”

      The engine should be well run in before its heavy working life begins.

      Synonym: broken in (adj)

Noun

run in (plural run ins)

1. Alternative spelling of run-in (omitting the hyphens from nouns of this type is nonstandard in formal publications but widely seen in unedited writing)

Verb

run in (third-person singular simple present runs in, present participle running in, simple past ran in, past participle run in)

2. (transitive, informal, chiefly passive voice) To arrest; (especially) to track down and arrest.

   Coordinate term: run down

   The guys who robbed the bank last week have finally been run in.

3. (transitive, British) To use new machinery at less than full speed, preventing damage.

   Synonym: break in (transitive sense)

   I have to drive slowly for the first 1,000 miles to run the engine in.

   • 1959 February, A. G. Dunbar, “The "Dunalastair I" 4-4-0s of the Caledonian”, in Trains Illustrated, page 87:

     It was run in by Ranochan of Polmadie on the forenoon slow to Carlisle and the afternoon slow back to the North.

4. (figuratively) To start a new regime slowly.

   Synonym: phase in

5. (rugby) To score (a try).
   • 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     Toeava went over unopposed to stretch his side's lead but Japan got on the scoreboard on 56 minutes, wing Hirotoki Onozawa intercepting an attempted offload from Slade, who had a rather flaky game, and running in from the All Blacks' 10m line.

6. (typography, printing) To insert (a word, etc.) without making a line break or new paragraph (so that it is not free-hanging).

   Coordinate term: run down

   With these subsections, it is better to run their headings in.

7. (printing) To alter the position of matter to fill vacant space.
8. simple past and past participle of run in

References

• (arrest): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary
• “run in”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• inrun, inurn