errand
Americannoun
-
a short and quick trip to accomplish a specific purpose, as to buy something, deliver a package, or convey a message, often for someone else.
- Synonyms:
- chore, assignment, task, mission
-
the purpose of such a trip.
He finished his errands.
- Synonyms:
- chore, assignment, task, mission
-
a special mission or function entrusted to a messenger; commission.
noun
-
a short trip undertaken to perform a necessary task or commission (esp in the phrase run errands )
-
the purpose or object of such a trip
Etymology
Origin of errand
First recorded before 900; Middle English erande, Old English ærende; cognate with Old High German āruntī; compare Old English ār “messenger,” Gothic airus; not related to err ( def. ), errant ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nevertheless, on Saturday morning just before the strikes, life in Tehran was moving at its usual pace, taxis and buses were inching through mid-morning traffic and people were running errands.
From Barron's
People still out exercising or running errands shared video of intercepts and damage in the city’s ubiquitous chat groups.
About half of caregivers regularly assisted a parent with errands, housework and home repairs.
From MarketWatch
If you need to run some errands or find a time for a medical appointment, this midday window is a lot easier than grocery shopping at rush hour.
They had done very little the past two days besides watch me spin gold or run mindless errands for the miller.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
