course

[ kawrs, kohrs ]
See synonyms for: coursecoursedcoursescoursing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  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.

  1. advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement.

  2. the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages: in the course of a year; in the course of the battle.

  3. the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.: One runner fell halfway around the course.

  4. a particular manner of proceeding: a course of action.

  5. a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events: as a matter of course; the course of a disease.

  6. a mode of conduct; behavior.

  7. a systematized or prescribed series: a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments.

  8. a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics.

  9. a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.

  10. a part of a meal served at one time: The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas.

  11. Navigation.

    • the line along the earth's surface upon or over which a vessel, an aircraft, etc., proceeds: described by its bearing with relation to true or magnetic north.

    • a point of the compass.

  12. 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.

  13. Building Trades. a continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof.

  14. one of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume.

  15. the row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to wale).

  16. Often courses . the menses.

  17. a charge by knights in a tournament.

  18. a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent.

  19. a race.

verb (used with object),coursed, cours·ing.
  1. to run through or over.

  2. to chase; pursue.

  1. to hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent.

  2. to cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent.

  3. Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.

verb (used without object),coursed, cours·ing.
  1. to follow a course; direct one's course.

  2. to run, race, or move swiftly: The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins.

  1. to take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc.

Idioms about course

  1. in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually: They will get their comeuppance in due course.

  2. of course,

    • certainly; definitely: Of course I'll come to the party.

    • in the usual or natural order of things: Extra services are charged for, of course.

Origin of course

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English co(u)rs (noun), from Anglo-French co(u)rs(e), Old French cours, from Latin cursus “race, path, orbit,” noun use of past participle of currere “to run”; cf. current

Other words for course

Other words from course

  • mul·ti·course, noun
  • un·der·course, verb, un·der·coursed, un·der·cours·ing, noun

Words that may be confused with course

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use course in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for course

course

/ (kɔːs) /


noun
  1. a continuous progression from one point to the next in time or space; onward movement: the course of his life

  2. a route or direction followed: they kept on a southerly course

    • the path or channel along which something moves: the course of a river

    • (in combination): a watercourse

  1. an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is run: a golf course

  2. a period of time; duration: in the course of the next hour

  3. the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure: the illness ran its course

  4. a mode of conduct or action: if you follow that course, you will certainly fail

  5. a connected series of events, actions, etc

    • a prescribed number of lessons, lectures, etc, in an educational curriculum

    • the material covered in such a curriculum

  6. a prescribed regimen to be followed for a specific period of time: a course of treatment

  7. a part of a meal served at one time: the fish course

  8. a continuous, usually horizontal, layer of building material, such as a row of bricks, tiles, etc

  9. nautical any of the sails on the lowest yards of a square-rigged ship

  10. knitting the horizontal rows of stitches: Compare wale 1 (def. 2b)

  11. (in medieval Europe) a charge by knights in a tournament

    • a hunt by hounds relying on sight rather than scent

    • a match in which two greyhounds compete in chasing a hare

  12. the part or function assigned to an individual bell in a set of changes

  13. archaic a running race

  14. as a matter of course as a natural or normal consequence, mode of action, or event

  15. the course of nature the ordinary course of events

  16. in course of in the process of: the ship was in course of construction

  17. in due course at some future time, esp the natural or appropriate time

  18. of course

    • (adverb) as expected; naturally

    • (sentence substitute) certainly; definitely

  19. run its course or take its course (of something) to complete its development or action

verb
  1. (intr) to run, race, or flow, esp swiftly and without interruption

  2. to cause (hounds) to hunt by sight rather than scent or (of hounds) to hunt (a quarry) thus

  1. (tr) to run through or over; traverse

  2. (intr) to take a direction; proceed on a course

Origin of course

1
C13: from Old French cours, from Latin cursus a running, from currere to run

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with course

course

In addition to the idiom beginning with course

  • course of true love never ran smoothly, the

also see:

  • crash course
  • in due course
  • matter of course
  • of course
  • par for the course
  • run its course
  • stay the course

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.