noun
runoff
noun
1
Rain or irrigation water that flows off the surface of the land instead of soaking in.
"Farm runoff carried fertilizer into the nearby river."
"Heavy rain caused runoff to flood the storm drains."
2
An additional round of a competition or election held to settle a tie or narrow down finalists.
"The election went to a runoff after no candidate won a majority."
How to Use Runoff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither water draining off land, or a tie-breaking extra round in a competition or election.
Common pairings
agricultural runoff
a runoff election
stormwater runoff
Word Forms
runoffs plural
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Farm _____ carried fertilizer into the nearby river.
Etymology
Formed from the verb phrase "run off".