Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small motorboat.
  • noun A light aircraft.
  • noun A small, open automobile or carriage.
  • noun A vagabond or wanderer.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A small, light-weight, open motor-car, or one fitted with a buggy-top, designed to carry two persons, and intended to operate in towns or cities or within short distances; also a small motor-boat.
  • noun One of a herd of cattle left to run about and graze at will.
  • noun A gadabout; a vagabond.
  • noun Any light open wagon for ready and handy use.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of several small vehicles, especially a small motor car for use on short journeys.
  • noun dated A motor car having a single row of seats (Wikipedia).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an open automobile having a front seat and a rumble seat

Etymologies

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Examples

  • While the runabout is a faster deep-space vessel, the streamlined hull and large reinforced wings of the aeroshuttle make it significantly more efficient in high-speed atmospheric maneuvers and operations.

    STARSHIP SPOTTER ADAM “MOJO” LEBOWITZ 2001

  • While the runabout is a faster deep-space vessel, the streamlined hull and large reinforced wings of the aeroshuttle make it significantly more efficient in high-speed atmospheric maneuvers and operations.

    STARSHIP SPOTTER ADAM “MOJO” LEBOWITZ 2001

  • While the runabout is a faster deep-space vessel, the streamlined hull and large reinforced wings of the aeroshuttle make it significantly more efficient in high-speed atmospheric maneuvers and operations.

    STARSHIP SPOTTER ADAM “MOJO” LEBOWITZ 2001

  • The trip to Bajor was too far for a transporter, and the runabout was the only way to get them there.

    Objective: Bajor John Peel 2000

  • The last sight that Commander Sisko had of Bashir as the young doctor vanished into the runabout was a smug grin.

    WARCHILD ESTHER FRIESNER 1990

  • As she turned the corner of West Street, she saw, beside the canal and directly in front of the bridge, a new and smart-looking automobile, painted crimson and black, of the type known as a runabout, which she recognized as belonging to Mr. Ditmar.

    The Dwelling Place of Light — Complete Winston Churchill 1909

  • As she turned the corner of West Street, she saw, beside the canal and directly in front of the bridge, a new and smart-looking automobile, painted crimson and black, of the type known as a runabout, which she recognized as belonging to Mr. Ditmar.

    Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Winston Churchill Winston Churchill 1909

  • As she turned the corner of West Street, she saw, beside the canal and directly in front of the bridge, a new and smart-looking automobile, painted crimson and black, of the type known as a runabout, which she recognized as belonging to Mr. Ditmar.

    The Dwelling Place of Light — Volume 1 Winston Churchill 1909

  • The runabout was a bare fifty yards ahead of her, and it was coming on with a speed which shook even Lady's excitement-craving nerves.

    Further Adventures of Lad Albert Payson Terhune 1907

  • Lee goes to see her twice a week, and on Sunday afternoon takes her out in his new and rakish runabout, that is as modern as his behavior is obsolete.

    The Tinder-Box Maria Thompson Daviess 1898

Comments

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  • A four-wheeled vehicle for utilitarian travel, the runabout was a light carriage easily hitched by one person and easily pulled over long distances by a single horse.

    October 22, 2008