Racer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹeɪ.sə/

Definitions

1. A competitor who takes part in speed-oriented contests, an engineered machine built for rapid racing performance, or a participant in the field of racing striving for the fastest completion time
2. An individual engaged in competitions focused on speed, a high-performance vehicle created for racing events, or someone aiming to complete a race as quickly as possible
3. A person who enters contests to achieve the highest speed ; a vehicle built specifically for participating in competitive racing

Etymology: The word is simple in construction: "race" with the suffix "-er", which turns a verb or noun into a person or thing that does the action. The surprise lies in the base. "Race" is itself a borrowing, not a native English word, and its path into the language is what gives "racer" its roots. Old English had "rǣs," a rush or charge, which descended from a Germanic word for running headlong. Old Norse "rás" was a close cousin, and the two merged in Middle English into "race," which meant a running contest. The suffix has a longer lineage. It descends from Latin "-arius," which marked a person connected with a trade or activity, passed through Old French "-ier," and entered English as "-er," where it attached to native words for centuries. Since English already had "race" as a word for a contest of speed, "racer" was formed from it, and the first recorded use of the compound appears in 1648.

Synonyms: competitor, runner, driver, contestant, participant

Antonyms: loser, non-participant