errand
er·rand (er′ənd)
noun
- a trip to carry a message or do a definite thing, often esp. for someone else
- the thing to be done on such a trip; purpose or object for which one goes or is sent
Etymology: ME erende < OE ærende, message, mission, news, lit., that delivered by messenger < base of ar, messenger; akin to OS ārundi, OHG ārunti
Converse of object
- run: Initially he was just running an errand from Dad back at home to his brothers in the ranks.
- do: Death will return with his errand done, leaving a dark shadow on the morning.
- go: On Wednesday afternoon I asked him what he would like for tea, and I went out for the purpose of going an errand.
- have: This usually means I have a little errand to run.
- combine: Walk, cycle, make greater use of public transport, or simply combine errands into one trip.
- make: David spies an opportunity to make the errand less onerous and asks his mom to give him a lift.
Adjective modifier
- same: Possibly a comrade of Antoine's on the same errand.
- little: You were given a little errand by the executors, weren't you?
- few: A walk into Ossett to sort out a few errands seems like the best way to get over jet-lag.
- other: I was small then so the other errands had to wait.
- small: For quick income, he often ran small errands for an elderly man of substantial wealth who had taken Peter into his trust.
- own: She had her own errand and her own friends.
Modifies a noun
- boy: He left school at 12 to be an errand boy at a local printing business.
- runner: At 12 he was forced to leave school to take up a job as an errand runner to help to feed his family.
Noun used with modifier
- run: Some parents could not pay the fees, or kept their children at home to mind the house or run errands.
- fool: Getting everyone to realize that every single data error potentially sends people on a fools errand is a critical success factor.
- thine: Prithee, be brief, and speak thine errand quickly.
Possessives
- fool: Mr Simpson went on to give his views about Gulf War III, a fool's errand.
Preposition: in
- trip: Aim to do your errands in a round trip.
Preposition: of
- mercy: Long may he continue on his errand of mercy.
And whenThyself with shining foot shall pass Among the guests star-scattered on the grass, And in thy joyous errand reach the spot Where I made oneöturn down an empty glass!
Gamp would certainly have drunk its little shoes right off its feet, as with our precious boy he did, and arterwards send the child a errand to sell his wooden leg for any money it 'ud fetch as matches in the rough, and bring it home in liquor.
Browse dictionary entries near errand
- errancy
- err
- erotomania
- erotogenic
- erotize
- eroticize
- eroticism
- erotica
- erotic
- erosive
- errand runner
- errant
- errantry
- errata
- erratic
- erratically
- erratum
- erring
- Errol
- erroneous
