He was sent out on an urgent errand. We were there on an errand of mercy to help provide medical care for the refugees.
Recent Examples on the WebAvoid the stress and enjoy yourself, but offer to do some of the heavy lifting or run an errand if necessary. Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 12 Sep. 2022 On their way back, Mr. Pereira had an errand to run.New York Times, 1 July 2022 On April 25, 1988, Marsha left her office at the Underground Railroad to run an errand with one of her dealer connections. Karen Zelermyer, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2022 Yet for the most part, all the nuisances of biking still crop up: hot or cold or wet weather, needing to transport something heavy or awkward, taking on another errand during the day that requires a drive, and so forth. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Aug. 2022 Shootings at grocery stores are occurring more often, twisting an unremarkable errand into an unforgettable nightmare. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 But to play amateur shrink—or worse, amateur judge—is a fool’s errand at best and cruel at worst. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Aug. 2022 Their work revealed that a quick errand can be dangerous for a kid left behind in the car — even for less than 15 minutes, even with the windows cracked, and even on a mild day. Emmarie Huetteman, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2022 Their work revealed that a quick errand can be dangerous for a kid left behind in the car — even for less than 15 minutes, even with the windows cracked, and even on a mild day. Emmarie Huetteman, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English erend message, business, from Old English ǣrend; akin to Old High German ārunti message
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of errand was before the 12th century