wellcoupled
əl noun
1.
two of the same sort considered together; pair.
2.
two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: They make a handsome couple.
3.
any two persons considered together.
4.
Mechanics. a pair of equal, parallel forces acting in opposite directions and tending to produce rotation.
5.
Also called couple-close. Carpentry. a pair of rafters connected by a tie beam or collar beam.
verb (used with object)
8.
to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.
9.
to join; connect.
10.
to unite in marriage or in sexual union.
11.
Electricity.
a.
to join or associate by means of a coupler.
b.
to bring (two electric circuits or circuit components) close enough to permit an exchange of electromagnetic energy.
00:10
Wellcoupled
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
verb (used without object)
Idioms 12.
to join in a pair; unite.
13.
to copulate.
14.
a couple of, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there. A dinner party, whether for a couple of old friends or eight new acquaintances, takes nearly the same amount of effort. Also, Informal, a couple.
Origin:
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple < Latin cōpula a tie, bond (see copula); (v.) Middle English couplen < Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler < Latin copulāre (see copulate)
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple < Latin cōpula a tie, bond (see copula); (v.) Middle English couplen < Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler < Latin copulāre (see copulate)
Related forms
cou·ple·a·ble, adjective
in·ter·cou·ple, adjective
well-cou·pled, adjective
Usage note
The phrase a couple of, meaning “a small number of; a few; several,” has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: They walked a couple of miles in silence. Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. The shortened phrase a couple, without of (The gas station is a couple miles from here), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech, especially when followed by number terms (as a couple dozen eggs) or units of measurement (as a couple years ago; a couple gallons of gas). This use of couple (as an adjective or modifier) is still disliked by many. Without a following noun, a couple is even more informal: Jack shouldn't drive. It's clear he's had a couple. (Here the noun drinks is omitted.)
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
The phrase a couple of, meaning “a small number of; a few; several,” has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money: They walked a couple of miles in silence. Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. The shortened phrase a couple, without of (The gas station is a couple miles from here), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech, especially when followed by number terms (as a couple dozen eggs) or units of measurement (as a couple years ago; a couple gallons of gas). This use of couple (as an adjective or modifier) is still disliked by many. Without a following noun, a couple is even more informal: Jack shouldn't drive. It's clear he's had a couple. (Here the noun drinks is omitted.)
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To wellcoupled
Collins
World English Dictionary
couple (ˈkʌpəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | two people who regularly associate with each other or live together: an engaged couple |
| 2. | (functioning as singular or plural) two people considered as a pair, for or as if for dancing, games, etc |
| 3. | chiefly hunting |
| a. a pair of collars joined by a leash, used to attach hounds to one another | |
| b. two hounds joined in this way | |
| c. the unit of reckoning for hounds in a pack: twenty and a half couple | |
| 4. | a pair of equal and opposite parallel forces that have a tendency to produce rotation with a torque or turning moment equal to the product of either force and the perpendicular distance between them |
| 5. | physics |
| a. See thermocouple two dissimilar metals, alloys, or semiconductors in electrical contact, across which a voltage develops | |
| b. Also called: galvanic couple two dissimilar metals or alloys in electrical contact that when immersed in an electrolyte act as the electrodes of an electrolytic cell | |
| 6. | a connector or link between two members, such as a tie connecting a pair of rafters in a roof |
| 7. | (functioning as singular or plural) a couple of |
| a. a combination of two; a pair of: a couple of men | |
| b. informal a small number of; a few: a couple of days | |
| —pron | |
| 8. | ( |
| —vb | |
| 9. | (tr) to connect (two things) together or to connect (one thing) to (another): to couple railway carriages |
| 10. | (tr) to do (two things) simultaneously or alternately: he couples studying with teaching |
| 11. | to form or be formed into a pair or pairs |
| 12. | to associate, put, or connect together: history is coupled with sociology |
| 13. | to link (two circuits) by electromagnetic induction |
| 14. | (intr) to have sexual intercourse |
| 15. | to join or be joined in marriage; marry |
| 16. | (tr) to attach (two hounds to each other) |
| [C13: from Old French: a pair, from Latin cōpula a bond; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
couple
late 13c., from O.Fr. cople "married couple, lovers," from L. copula "tie, connection," from PIE *ko-ap-, from *ko(m)- "together" + *ap- "to take, reach." Meaning broadened 14c. to "any two things." The verb is from mid-14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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