run-in
/ˈɹʌnˌɪn/ noun, adjective
Forms run-ins
- noun An encounter; a scrape or brush, especially one involving trouble or difficulty.
- noun The end-phase of a competition etc. “Yahoo Sport's Leicester City blogger Helen Nutter gets ready for the Premier League run-in knowing her side - incredibly - still have a great chance of being crowned champions”
- noun A sudden compression between two coupled railcars when the hinder one is moving faster than the fore one.
- adjective (participial adjective; editing, typography) (not comparable) Having been run in before or behind previous text. “These headings are of the run-in type because a free-hanging style would just be a waste of column inches.”
- adjective (participial adjective; mechanical, engineering) (sometimes comparable) Having been run in to seat the parts. “A well run-in engine is likelier to consume less crankcase oil over the course of its working life.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Derived from the verb run into.
For the meaning "end-phase", it presumably comes a marathon race, where in the final part the runners run into the stadium and complete a lap.
Derived from the verb run in.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “run-in”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details