course   (kôrs, kōrs)    n.   Onward movement in a particular direction; progress: the course of events. Movement in time; duration: in the course of a year. A designated area of land or water on which a race is held: the course of a marathon. A golf course. A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum: a four-year course in engineering. A unit of such a curriculum: took an introductory course in chemistry; passed her calculus course. The direction of continuing movement: took a northern course. The route or path taken by something, such as a stream, that moves. See Synonyms at way. Sports A designated area of land or water on which a race is held: the course of a marathon. A golf course. A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum: a four-year course in engineering. A unit of such a curriculum: took an introductory course in chemistry; passed her calculus course. A mode of action or behavior: followed the best course and invested her money. A typical or natural manner of proceeding or developing; customary passage: a fad that ran its course. A systematic or orderly succession; a sequence: a course of medical treatments. A continuous layer of building material, such as brick or tile, on a wall or roof of a building. A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum: a four-year course in engineering. A unit of such a curriculum: took an introductory course in chemistry; passed her calculus course. A part of a meal served as a unit at one time: The first course was a delicious soup. Nautical The lowest sail on a mast of a square-rigged ship. A point on the compass, especially the one toward which a vehicle, such as a ship, is moving. v.   coursed, cours·ing, cours·es v.   tr. To move swiftly through or over; traverse: ships coursing the seas. To hunt (game) with hounds. To set (hounds) to chase game. v.   intr. To proceed or move swiftly along a specified course: "Big tears now coursed down her face" (Iris Murdoch). To hunt game with hounds. [Middle English, from Old French cours, from Latin cursus, from past participle of currere, to run; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]

Course

Course\ (k?rs), n. [F. cours, course, L. cursus, fr. currere to run. See Current.]

1. The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage.

And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais. --Acts xxi. 7.

2. The ground or path traversed; track; way.

The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket. --Pennant.

3. Motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance.

A light by which the Argive squadron steers Their silent course to Ilium's well known shore. --Dennham.

Westward the course of empire takes its way. --Berkeley.

4. Progress from point to point without change of direction; any part of a progress from one place to another, which is in a straight line, or on one direction; as, a ship in a long voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations; also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of a race.

5. Motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument.

The course of true love never did run smooth. --Shak.

6. Customary or established sequence of events; recurrence of events according to natural laws.

By course of nature and of law. --Davies.

Day and night, Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course. --Milton.

7. Method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior.

My lord of York commends the plot and the general course of the action. --Shak.

By perseverance in the course prescribed. --Wodsworth.

You hold your course without remorse. --Tennyson.

8. A series of motions or acts arranged in order; a succession of acts or practices connectedly followed; as, a course of medicine; a course of lectures on chemistry.

9. The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn.

He appointed . . . the courses of the priests --2 Chron. viii. 14.

10. That part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments.

He [Goldsmith] wore fine clothes, gave dinners of several courses, paid court to venal beauties. --Macaulay.

11. (Arch.) A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building. --Gwilt.

12. (Naut.) The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc.

13. pl. (Physiol.) The menses.

In course, in regular succession.

Of course, by consequence; as a matter of course; in regular or natural order.

In the course of, at same time or times during. "In the course of human events." --T. Jefferson.

Syn: Way; road; route; passage; race; series; succession; manner; method; mode; career; progress.

course 

Main Entry: course
Pronunciation: 'kO(&)rs, 'ko(&)rs
Function: noun
1 : the series of events or stages comprising a natural process course of a disease>
2 : a series of doses or medications administered over a designated period course of three doses daily for five days>

course

In addition to the idiom beginning with course, also see crash course; in due course; matter of course; of course; par for the course; run its course; stay the course.