English Explanatory Dictionary

errand

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A journey undertaken to accomplish some task.
  2. A mission or quest.
  3. A mundane mission of no great consequence, concerning household or business affairs (dropping items by, doing paperwork, going to a friend's house, etc.)
  4. The purpose of such a journey.
  5. An oral message trusted to a person for delivery.
verb
  1. To send someone on an errand.
  2. To go on an errand.

Pronunciation

ěr'-ənd /ˈɛɹənd/ En-us-errand.ogg

Word forms

errand errands arrand erranding erranded

Etymology

From Middle English erande, erende, from Old English ǣrende, from Proto-West Germanic *ārundī (“message, errand”).

Synonyms

run

Derived words

errand boy errand-ghost errand ghost errandy fool's errand idiot's errand lost errand make an errand run an errand sleeveless errand

Translations

Arabic: مشور Bashkir: йомош Catalan: diligència Catalan: encàrrec Chinese Mandarin: 使命 Chinese Mandarin: 任務 /任务 Chinese Mandarin: 差使 Danish: ærinde Dutch: boodschap Finnish: juttu Finnish: juokseva asia Finnish: tehtävä French: course Galician: mandado Galician: encarga Galician: recado Galician: encomenda German: Besorgung German: Auftrag Hebrew: שְׁלִיחוּת Hungarian: út Hungarian: megbízatás Hungarian: megbízás Hungarian: küldetés Irish: teachtaireacht Italian: commissione Italian: ambasciata Italian: incombenza Japanese: お使い Japanese: 使命 Jeju: 부름씨 Kazakh: іс сапар Korean: 심부름 Middle English: erende Portuguese: encargo Russian: поруче́ние Russian: командиро́вка Russian: зада́ние Spanish: recado Spanish: mandado Swedish: ärende Turkish: edinme Turkish: tedarik Ukrainian: побігашка Welsh: neges Yoruba: iṣẹ́
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