Definition: Race

Etymology 1

From Middle English race, partially from Old English rǣs (a race, swift or violent running, rush, onset), from Proto-West Germanic *rās; and partially from Old Norse rás (a running, race); both from Proto-Germanic *rēsō (a course), from Proto-Indo-European *reh₁s- (to flow, rush). Cognate with Middle Low German râs (a strong current), Dutch ras (a strong whirling current), Danish ræs, Norwegian and Swedish ras, Norwegian rås.

Noun

race (countable and uncountable, plural races)

1. A contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc. where the goal is to be the first to reach some objective.

   Several horses ran in a horse race: the first one to reach the finishing post won.

   The race to cure cancer continues, with several large organizations in the lead.

   The race around the park was won by Johnny, who ran faster than the others.

   We had a race to see who could finish the book the quickest.

2. Swift progress; rapid motion; an instance of moving or driving at high speed.
3. (electronics, computing) A race condition; a bug or problem that occurs when two or more components attempt to use the same resource at the same time.
4. A sequence of events; a progressive movement toward a goal.
5. A fast-moving current of water.
6. A water channel, especially one built to lead water to or from a point where it is utilized, such as that which powers a mill wheel.
7. A path that something or someone moves along.
8. A guide or channel that a component of a machine moves along:
   1. (sewing, weaving) A groove on a sewing machine or a loom along which the shuttle moves.
   2. (engineering) A ring with a groove in which rolling elements (such as balls) ride, forming part of a rolling-element bearing (for example, a ball bearing).
9. (gambling) A keno gambling session.

Derived terms

• arms race
• boat race
• caucus race
• drag race
• egg and spoon race
• foot race
• horse race
• race car
• race track
• relay race
• road race
• sack race

Verb

race (third-person singular simple present races, present participle racing, simple past and past participle raced)

1. To take part in a race (in the sense of a contest).

   The drivers were racing around the track.

2. To compete against in a race (contest).

   I raced him to the car, but he was there first, so he got to ride shotgun.

3. To move or drive at high speed; to hurry or speed.

   As soon as it was time to go home, he raced for the door.

   Her heart was racing as she peered into the dimly lit room.

4. (of a motor) To run rapidly when not engaged to a transmission.

Etymology 2

1560s, via Middle French race from Italian razza (early fourteenth century), of uncertain origin.

• Diez and some other scholars suggest derivation from Proto-Germanic *raitō (whence Old High German reiza (line) and Old Norse ríta (to score, log, outline)), perhaps via Lombardic *raiza (line), which Körting notes is a literal rendering of Latin linea sanguinis (bloodline of descent). Anatoly Liberman says "the semantic fit is good" but the chronology falters; he says the Germanic word went out of use before the Italian word arose, and he says the intermediary is not attested.
• Some scholars suggest derivation from Old Spanish raza, rasa, from earlier ras, res (head of cattle), from Arabic رَأْس or raʔs (head), but Italian razza predates the Spanish word according to Diez and Meyer-Lübke.
• Meyer-Lübke suggested Latin generatio as the root; Körting says "the disappearance of two initial syllables hardly seems credible", but Meyer-Lübke notes the Venetian form narazza and the Old Bellunesian form naraccia, positing that after the first syllable ge- was lost, the remaining (una) narazza came to be reanalysed as una razza.
• Gianfranco Contini suggests the Italian word comes from Old French haraz (troop of horses), whence Modern French haras (breeding farm for horses; stud farm), from Old Norse hárr (grey-haired; hoary). Liberman considers this derivation the most likely.
• Other suggested Latin etyma:
  • radius (perhaps via Vulgar Latin *radia) (per Baist).
  • radix (root) (per Ulrich); Liberman says "the semantic match is excellent", and race (rhizome of ginger) (which definitely derives from radix) shows that the phonology is plausible.[2]
  • raptiare (breed falcons) (per Körting).
  • The nominative of ratio (perhaps via an unattested intermediate form *razzo), as opposed to ragione which derives from the accusative rationem.
• Other implausible suggestions include Slavic raz and Basque arraca, supposedly meaning "stud animal" (Basque arrazza, "race", derives from Spanish).

Noun

race (countable and uncountable, plural races)

1. A group of sentient beings, particularly people, distinguished by common ancestry, heritage, or characteristics.
   1. A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of a common heritage.

      The Canadian race is one of the most vigorous on the globe.

   2. A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of common physical characteristics, such as skin color or hair type.

      Race was a significant issue during apartheid in South Africa.

      The Native Americans colonized the New World in several waves from Asia, and thus they are considered part of the same Mongoloid race.

   3. A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of shared characteristics or qualities, for example social qualities.

      The advent of the Internet has brought about a new race of entrepreneur.

   4. A large group of nonhumans distinguished from others on the basis of a common heritage.

      A treaty was concluded between the race of elves and the race of men.

2. A group of organisms distinguished by common characteristics:
   1. (biology) A population geographically separated from others of its species that develops significantly different characteristics; a mating group.
   2. (botany) A strain of plant with characteristics causing it to differ from other plants of the same species.
   3. (animal husbandry) A breed or strain of domesticated animal.
3. A category or kind of thing distinguished by common characteristics.

Derived terms

• critical race theory
• human race
• mixed race
• race card
• race relations
• race riot

Related terms

• racial
• racism
• racist

Verb

race (third-person singular simple present races, present participle racing, simple past and past participle raced)

1. To assign a race to; to perceive as having a (usually specified) race.

Etymology 3

Mid sixteenth century. From Middle French raïz, raiz, rais (root), from Latin radix (root), from Proto-Italic *wrādīks, from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds.

Noun

race (plural races)

1. A rhizome or root, especially of ginger.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here:

• race  ^history