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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

course       (kôrs, kōrs)  Pronunciation Key  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.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
course 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

course
adverb
1.	as might be expected; "naturally, the lawyer sent us a huge bill" [syn: naturally] [ant: unnaturally]
noun
1.	education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings; "he took a course in basket weaving"; "flirting is not unknown in college classes"
2.	a connected series of events or actions or developments; "the government took a firm course"; "historians can only point out those lines for which evidence is available"
3.	general line of orientation; "the river takes a southern course"; "the northeastern trend of the coast"
4.	a mode of action; "if you persist in that course you will surely fail"; "once a nation is embarked on a course of action it becomes extremely difficult for any retraction to take place"
5.	a line or route along which something travels or moves; "the hurricane demolished houses in its path"; "the track of an animal"; "the course of the river" [syn: path]
6.	a body of students who are taught together; "early morning classes are always sleepy" [syn: class]
7.	part of a meal served at one time; "she prepared a three course meal"
8.	(construction) a layer of masonry; "a course of bricks"
9.	facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport; "the course had only nine holes"; "the course was less than a mile"
verb
1.	move swiftly through or over; "ships coursing the Atlantic"
2.	move along, of liquids; "Water flowed into the cave"; "the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi" [syn: run]
3.	hunt with hounds; "He often courses hares"

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Course

Course\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coursed (k?rst)); p. pr. & vb. n. Coursing.]

1. To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue.

We coursed him at the heels. --Shak.

2. To cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer.

3. To run through or over.

The bounding steed courses the dusty plain. --Pope.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Course

Course\, v. i. 1. To run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire.

2. To move with speed; to race; as, the blood courses through the veins. --Shak.