noun, verb, coursed, cours⋅ing.| 1. | a direction or route taken or to be taken. |
| 2. | the path, route, or channel along which anything moves: the course of a stream. |
| 3. | advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement. |
| 4. | the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages: in the course of a year; in the course of the battle. |
| 5. | the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.: One runner fell halfway around the course. |
| 6. | a particular manner of proceeding: a course of action. |
| 7. | a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events: as a matter of course; the course of a disease. |
| 8. | a mode of conduct; behavior. |
| 9. | a systematized or prescribed series: a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments. |
| 10. | a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics. |
| 11. | a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study. |
| 12. | a part of a meal served at one time: The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas. |
| 13. | Navigation.
|
| 14. | Nautical. the lowermost sail on a fully square-rigged mast: designated by a special name, as foresail or mainsail, or by the designation of the mast itself, as fore course or main course. |
| 15. | Building Trades. a continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof. |
| 16. | one of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume. |
| 17. | the row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to wale ). |
| 18. | Often, courses. the menses. |
| 19. | a charge by knights in a tournament. |
| 20. | a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent. |
| 21. | golf course. |
| 22. | a race. |
| 23. | to run through or over. |
| 24. | to chase; pursue. |
| 25. | to hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent. |
| 26. | to cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent. |
| 27. | Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses. |
| 28. | to follow a course; direct one's course. |
| 29. | to run, race, or move swiftly: The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins. |
| 30. | to take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc. |
| 31. | in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually: They will get their comeuppance in due course. |
| 32. | of course,
|

course (kôrs, kōrs) n.
v. tr.
[Middle English, from Old French cours, from Latin cursus, from past participle of currere, to run; see kers- in Indo-European roots.] |
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.