marathon
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈmæɹəθən//
- Canada//ˈmæɹəˌθɑn//
- Canada//ˈmɛɹəˌθɑn//
- Australia//ˈmæɹə(ˌ)θɔn//
- New Zealand//ˈmɛɹə(ˌ)θɔn//
A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.
noun
- 1
A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.
- 2
figurativeAny extended or sustained activity.
He had a cleaning marathon the night before his girlfriend came over.
I learned from the marathon that to finish a race you simply keep running.
After a marathon session that included more than 14 hours of mostly negative public comment, the council agreed 11 to 4 to fund the center, and then gaveled out just before 6 a.m.
Etymology
From French marathon, coined in 1894 by linguist Michel Bréal for the first modern time Olympic Games after Ancient Greek Μαραθών (Marathṓn), a town northeast of Athens. Phidippides the Greek ran the distance from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message regarding the Battle of Marathon. The modern sport of marathon running is based on a run approximately the same distance. The toponym itself comes from μάραθον (márathon, “fennel”) and refers to the prevalence of the plant in the area.
verb
- 1
To run a marathon.
In less than two years, they and their family and friends have skydived, marathoned, tray-baked and dinner-danced their way to £130,000 for Duchenne research through their help4harry campaign.
- 2
informalTo watch or read a large number of instalments of (a film, book, TV series, etc.) in one sitting.
We're going to marathon Star Trek next weekend.
Forms
- plural
- marathons
- past tense
- marathoned
- past participle
- marathoned
- present participle
- marathoning
- third person singular
- marathons
marathon · A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.
Marathon · A town in Attica, Greece, the site of the victory in 490 BC…marble · A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.Marble · A surname.