Run over
/rʌn ˈoʊvər/
The expression run over can mean either to strike with a vehicle or to rehearse something again.
Examples
- Let's run over the script one more time before the audition.
- The teacher ran over the key points before the test.
- They were running over the agenda when I walked in.
- They were running over the speed limit when the accident happened.
- We have run over the safety procedures every morning this week.
Meanings
The verb run has Old English roots in rinnan, meaning to move swiftly. The phrasal verb run over emerged as automobiles became common, describing the act of a vehicle passing over something in its path.
Examples
- The driver didn't see the dog and ran over it.
- She was run over while crossing the street.
- He has run over a curb twice this week.
- They were running over the speed limit when the accident happened.
- I think I ran over something in the road last night.
The sense of run as to perform continuously and over as repetition combine to form this meaning, reflecting repeated performance.
Examples
- Let's run over the script one more time before the audition.
- The teacher ran over the key points before the test.
- We have run over the safety procedures every morning this week.
- They were running over the agenda when I walked in.
- I ran over my speech in the mirror yesterday.