Standard Lemma guide

runnel

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɹʌnəl/
  • /ˈɹʌn.l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌnəl

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small stream, a rivulet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A small artificial channel for water to flow in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To create channels for directing the flow of liquid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text The people who settled here weren’t farmers. They hunted. Yet they built a large amphitheater of mud, a platform carefully runneled to carry liquid—possibly blood.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a small stream

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rivulet, rill, run, streamlet

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stream, watercourse

History

Etymology

From Middle English runel, rennel, rinel, from Old English rynel (“that which runs; runner; stream”), from Proto-Germanic *runilaz, equivalent to run + -el. Cognate with Scots rinel, rinnal (“stream; runnel”), Swedish rännel (“runner; runnel”).

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: поток (potok) — small stream
  • Bulgarian: ручей (ručej) — small stream
  • Gothic: 𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐍉 (rinnō) — small stream
  • Italian: rigagnolo — small stream
  • Swedish: rännil — small stream