Nautical Term: Run down

Definition of Run down

Run down refers to the act of colliding with another vessel where the force of the impact is such that the impinging vessel overtakes the struck vessel, effectively passing ahead of it.

For instance, if a large cargo ship is approaching another smaller fishing vessel head-on in foggy conditions, and the larger vessel fails to change course in time, the fishing vessel could end up being run down by the larger cargo ship.

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