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coarse

 - 4 dictionary results

coarse

  [kawrs, kohrs]
Use coarse in a Sentence
–adjective, coars⋅er, coars⋅est.
1. composed of relatively large parts or particles: The beach had rough, coarse sand.
2. lacking in fineness or delicacy of texture, structure, etc.: The stiff, coarse fabric irritated her skin.
3. harsh; grating.
4. lacking delicacy, taste, or refinement; unpolished: He had coarse manners but an absolutely first-rate mind.
5. of inferior or faulty quality; common; base.
6. vulgar; obscene; crude: His coarse language angered us.
7. (of metals) unrefined.
8. (of a metal file) having the maximum commercial grade of coarseness.
Origin:
1550–60; earlier cors(e), course, cowarce; of obscure orig.

Related forms:
coarsely, adverb
coarseness, noun

Synonyms:
2, 4. crude, rude, rough. 4. vulgar, gross, crass. 6. indelicate.

Antonyms:
4. refined, sensitive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To coarse
coarse   (kôrs, kōrs)   
adj.   coars·er, coars·est

  1. Of low, common, or inferior quality.

    1. Lacking in delicacy or refinement: coarse manners.

    2. Vulgar or indecent: coarse language.

  3. Consisting of large particles; not fine in texture: coarse sand.

  4. Rough, especially to the touch: a coarse tweed.


[Middle English cors, probably from course, custom; see course.]
coarse'ly adv., coarse'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

coarse 
1424, cors "ordinary," probably adj. use of noun cours (see course), originally referring to rough cloth for ordinary wear. Developed a sense of "rude" c.1510 and "obscene" 1711. Perhaps related, via metathesis, to Fr. gros, which had a similar sense development.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: coarse
Pronunciation: 'kO(&)rs, 'ko(&)rs
Function: adjective
1 : visible to the naked eye or by means of a compound microscope<coarse particles>
2 of a tremor : of wide excursion coarse tremor of the extremities>
3 : harsh, raucous, or rough intone —used of some sounds heard in auscultation in pathological states of the chest <coarse rales>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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