Nearby Words
noun
1.
the act of a person or thing that couples.
2.
Machinery.
a.
a device for joining two rotating shafts semipermanently at their ends so as to transmit torque from one to the other. Compare clutch1 (def. 12a).
b.
a part with an inside thread for connecting two pipes of the same diameter.
c.
a fitting at the end of a length of hose into which the end of another such length can be screwed or fitted.
3.
Railroads. coupler (def. 3).
4.
Electricity.
a.
the association of two circuits or systems in such a way that power may be transferred from one to the other.
b.
a device or expedient to ensure this.
5.
EXPANDa short length of plumbing pipe having each end threaded on the inside.
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Coupling
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
two of the same sort considered together; pair.
2.
two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: They make a handsome couple.
3.
any two persons considered together.
4.
Mechanics. a pair of equal, parallel forces acting in opposite directions and tending to produce rotation.
5.
EXPANDAlso called couple-close. Carpentry. a pair of rafters connected by a tie beam or collar beam.
6.
a leash for holding two hounds together.
7.
COLLAPSEFox Hunting. two hounds: 25 hounds or 121/2 couple.
verb (used with object)
8.
to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.
9.
to join; connect.
10.
to unite in marriage or in sexual union.
11.
Electricity.
a.
to join or associate by means of a coupler.
b.
to bring (two electric circuits or circuit components) close enough to permit an exchange of electromagnetic energy.
verb (used without object)
Idiom12.
to join in a pair; unite.
13.
to copulate.
14.
a couple of, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there. Also, a couple.
Origin:
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple < Latin cōpula a tie, bond (see copula); (v.) Middle English couplen < Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler < Latin copulāre (see copulate)
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple < Latin cōpula a tie, bond (see copula); (v.) Middle English couplen < Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler < Latin copulāre (see copulate)
Related forms
cou·ple·a·ble, adjective
in·ter·cou·ple, adjective
well-cou·pled, adjective
Can be confused: couple, pair, several (see usage note at the current entry; see synonym and usage notes at pair).
Usage note
The phrase a couple of has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: They walked a couple of miles in silence. Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. EXPANDThe shortened phrase a couple, without of (The gas station is a couple miles from here), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech. Without a following noun, the phrase is highly informal: Jack shouldn't drive
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
COLLAPSE
The phrase a couple of has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: They walked a couple of miles in silence. Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. EXPANDThe shortened phrase a couple, without of (The gas station is a couple miles from here), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech. Without a following noun, the phrase is highly informal: Jack shouldn't drive
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Coupling
Collins
World English Dictionary
| coupling (ˈkʌplɪŋ) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a mechanical device that connects two things |
| 2. | a device for connecting railway cars or trucks together |
| 3. | the part of the body of a horse, dog, or other quadruped that lies between the forequarters and the hindquarters |
| 4. | electronics See also direct coupling the act or process of linking two or more circuits so that power can be transferred between them usually by mutual induction, as in a transformer, or by means of a capacitor or inductor common to both circuits |
| 5. | physics an interaction between different properties of a system, such as a group of atoms or nuclei, or between two or more systems |
| 6. | genetics the occurrence of two specified nonallelic genes from the same parent on the same chromosome |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
couple
late 13c., from O.Fr. cople "married couple, lovers," from L. copula "tie, connection," from PIE *ko-ap-, from *ko(m)- "together" + *ap- "to take, reach." Meaning broadened 14c. to "any two things." The verb is from mid-14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
coupling cou·pling n.
The act of uniting sexually.
See bigeminal rhythm.
The configuration of two different mutant genes on the same chromosome, leading to the likelihood they will both either be inherited or omitted in the next generation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
coupling definition
programming, hardwareThe degree to which components depend on one another. There are two types of coupling, "tight" and "loose". Loose coupling is desirable for good software engineering but tight coupling may be necessary for maximum performance. Coupling is increased when the data exchanged between components becomes larger or more complex.
(1996-08-01)
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Images for Coupling
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