race

1 /reIs/ noun

1 SPORT (C) a competition in which each competitor tries to run, drive etc fastest and finish first: She came fifth in the race. | a swimming race

2 PEOPLE

a) (C) one of the main groups that humans can be divided into according to the colour of their skin and other physical features: people of all races and creeds

b) (U) the fact of belonging to one of these groups: The law forbids discrimination on the grounds of race or religion. | a person of mixed race

c) (C) a group of people with the same customs, history, language etc: the Nordic races

—see also: human race

3 GET/DO STH FIRST (countable usually singular) a situation in which one group of people tries to obtain or achieve something before another group does: race to do sth: the race to develop a nuclear bomb

(+ for): an international race for power and prestige | the race is on (=people are competing to do something): The race is on to find a cure for AIDS.

4 HORSE RACE the races an occasion when horse races are held: a day out at the races | Doncaster Races

5 a race against time an attempt to finish doing something very important fast

6 ANIMAL/PLANT (C) technical a type of animal or plant

—see also: arms race USAGE NOTE: RACE WORD CHOICE: race, nation, people, state, tribe A race is a very large group of human beings of the same colour and/or physical type: different races and nationalities A nation is a group of people who share the same history and usually a language, and often live in the same area or independent country: the Indian nations of North America | the Scottish nation A race or a nation may also be called a people (C). This is sometimes considered to be a more acceptable word than race: the peoples of Asia | the Jewish people A state is either a politically independent country, or one of the political parts that makes up a country: the Polish state | the state of California States can often contain people of different races or nations. A tribe is a social group, smaller than a nation, that shares the same customs and usually the same language, and often follows an ancient or traditional way of life: the tribes living in the Amazon region 2 verb

1 SPORT

a) (I, T) to compete against someone or something in a race

(+ against): She'll be racing against some of the world's top athletes. | race sb to/back/there: I'll race you to the end of the road.

b) (T) to use an animal or a vehicle to compete in a race: Prouteau was racing a Ferrari in the Formula One championships. | young horses that had never been raced

2 MOVE QUICKLY (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive always + adv/prep) to move very quickly or make someone or something move very quickly

(+ out/home/into): I had to race back home for my umbrella. | race sb to/back/there: The sick woman was raced back to the hospital.

3 TIME race by/past if time races by, it passes very quickly: The seconds went racing past.

4 HEART/MIND ETC (I) if your heart, pulse 1 (1), or mind races, it works harder and faster than usual, especially because you are ill or anxious: My heart started racing at the sound of approaching footsteps.

5 ENGINE (I) if an engine races, it runs too fast