Definition of "run in"

(styled open when in predicative position)

1. (participial adjective; editing, typography) (not comparable) Having been run in before or behind previous text.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

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

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

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

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

   • 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).

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

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

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

   • 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.

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

2. (participial adjective; mechanical, engineering) (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

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

     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

   • 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(transitive, Britain) To use new machinery at less than full speed, preventing damage.  quotations  examples

(figuratively) To start a new regime slowly.  examples

(rugby) To score (a try).  quotations  examples

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

(printing) To alter the position of matter to fill vacant space.  examples

simple past and past participle of run in  examples