course
a direction or route taken or to be taken.
the path, route, or channel along which anything moves: the course of a stream.
advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement.
the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages: in the course of a year; in the course of the battle.
the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.: One runner fell halfway around the course.
a particular manner of proceeding: a course of action.
a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events: as a matter of course; the course of a disease.
a mode of conduct; behavior.
a systematized or prescribed series: a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments.
a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics.
a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.
a part of a meal served at one time: The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas.
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.
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.
Building Trades. a continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof.
one of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume.
the row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to wale).
Often courses . the menses.
a charge by knights in a tournament.
a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
a race.
to run through or over.
to chase; pursue.
to hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
to cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent.
Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.
to follow a course; direct one's course.
to run, race, or move swiftly: The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins.
to take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc.
Idioms about course
in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually: They will get their comeuppance in due course.
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
1Other 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
All these ways mRNA can fall apart or get waylaid by the immune system create an obstacle course for vaccine makers.
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold | Tina Hesman Saey | November 20, 2020 | Science NewsShe fumbled with the door on a refrigerator truck, pulling open the latch and staring at the mountain of turkeys she had collected over the course of a week in a year unlike any Ames had seen working at the food pantry.
‘Can’t eat a gift card’: Rural food banks fight to put turkeys on the table | Kyle Swenson | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostThat came, of course, when Murray threw a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who made a leaping catch amid three defenders, with two seconds left to beat the Buffalo Bills, 32-30, Sunday in Arizona.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West | Mark Maske | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostOver the course of 2020, readers have become increasingly comfortable with the concept of paying for news.
‘A start-up again’: New Quartz owner Zach Seward’s plan for longevity includes revenue innovation and reader support | Kayleigh Barber | November 20, 2020 | DigidayMissing, of course, was the sitcom’s beloved Uncle Phil, played with all the big uncle energy by James Avery, who died in 2013.
‘I lost everything’: Janet Hubert confronts Will Smith about their falling out in the ‘Fresh Prince’ reunion | Helena Andrews-Dyer | November 19, 2020 | Washington Post
A chill coursed through me, but I resisted the urge to turn back.
During the Cold War, the fear of nuclear annihilation and missteps coursed through many societies well until the late 1960s.
Markets Relieved at Spain Bailout Deal; Financial World Still Worried | Zachary Karabell | June 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTAt this, ripples of laughter coursed through the crowd of 3,000.
Then she found, just as Caroline has with politics, that printer's ink coursed through her veins.
The tears coursed freely down her cheeks, but never a word could she utter.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. BallantyneMy eyes were a fountain of tears, and they welled over their lids, and coursed down my rough visage, and fell hot upon my hands.
Confessions of a Thug | Philip Meadows TaylorA kind of burning fever possessed me; my blood felt hot as it coursed through my veins; and the night, oh how I dreaded it!
Confessions of a Thug | Philip Meadows TaylorIt was in such a mood young Warlow stood, while the hopes and fears coursed dreamily through his soul.
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral | John Dunloe CarteretOne day, in a bright midday sun, an enormous bird coursed through the air.
A Passion in the Desert | Honore de Balzac
British Dictionary definitions for course
/ (kɔːs) /
a continuous progression from one point to the next in time or space; onward movement: the course of his life
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
an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is run: a golf course
a period of time; duration: in the course of the next hour
the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure: the illness ran its course
a mode of conduct or action: if you follow that course, you will certainly fail
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
a prescribed regimen to be followed for a specific period of time: a course of treatment
a part of a meal served at one time: the fish course
a continuous, usually horizontal, layer of building material, such as a row of bricks, tiles, etc
nautical any of the sails on the lowest yards of a square-rigged ship
knitting the horizontal rows of stitches: Compare wale 1 (def. 2b)
(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
the part or function assigned to an individual bell in a set of changes
archaic a running race
as a matter of course as a natural or normal consequence, mode of action, or event
the course of nature the ordinary course of events
in course of in the process of: the ship was in course of construction
in due course at some future time, esp the natural or appropriate time
of course
(adverb) as expected; naturally
(sentence substitute) certainly; definitely
run its course or take its course (of something) to complete its development or action
(intr) to run, race, or flow, esp swiftly and without interruption
to cause (hounds) to hunt by sight rather than scent or (of hounds) to hunt (a quarry) thus
(tr) to run through or over; traverse
(intr) to take a direction; proceed on a course
Origin of course
1- See also courses
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
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.
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