race runner
- noun
- /reɪs ˈrʌnər/
- US
:
lagarto corredor
- The race runner darted across the dusty trail before I could snap a photo.
Examples
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In the wild, a race runner relies on its speed to evade predators.
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Many herpetologists study the behavior of the race runner in its natural habitat.
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The race runner dashed across the sand.
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I spotted a race runner in the garden.
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In the wild, a race runner relies on its speed to evade predators.
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The race runner darted across the dusty trail before I could snap a photo.
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Many herpetologists study the behavior of the race runner in its natural habitat.
Synonyms
A fast lizard that lives in dry sandy places and runs quickly to escape danger
A fast lizard with six light stripes along its body that lives in eastern and central United States
A fast lizard with six lines on its back that lives in eastern and central United States
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'race' (a contest) and 'runner' (someone who runs) would most likely interpret 'race runner' as a person or animal that takes part in races or is very fast, not as the name of a lizard. The specialized zoological sense ('a very swift lizard') is a lexicalized, language-specific meaning that cannot be derived from the literal constituents, so it would be unpredictable to learners.
Etymology
The name race runner may come from watching the lizard move: it looks like a tiny runner taking part in a race, running very fast across the ground. That's why the name now means 'a very swift lizard'.