courser

¹ American  

[kawr-ser, kohr-] / ˈkɔr sər, ˈkoʊr- /

noun

1. a person or thing that courses; hunter.

2. a dog for coursing.

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courser ² American  

[kawr-ser, kohr-] / ˈkɔr sər, ˈkoʊr- /

noun

Literary.

1. a swift horse.

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courser ³ American  

[kawr-ser, kohr-] / ˈkɔr sər, ˈkoʊr- /

noun

1. any of several swift-footed, ploverlike birds of the genera Cursorius and Pluvianus, chiefly of the desert regions of Asia and Africa.

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courser ¹ British  

/ ˈkɔːsə /

noun

1. a person who courses hounds or dogs, esp greyhounds

2. a hound or dog trained for coursing

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courser ² British  

/ ˈkɔːsə /

noun

1. literary a swift horse; steed

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courser ³ British  

/ ˈkɔːsə /

noun

1. a terrestrial plover-like shore bird, such as Cursorius cursor (cream-coloured courser), of the subfamily Cursoriinae of desert and semidesert regions of the Old World: family Glareolidae, order Charadriiformes

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Etymology

Origin of courser¹

First recorded in 1585–95; course + -er ¹

Origin of courser²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English courser, coursier, courcer, from Old French coursier, cursier, corsier, from unattested Vulgar Latin cursārius, equivalent to Latin curs(us) “running, race” + -ārius suffix forming adjectives and nouns; see origin at course, -ary; see also -er ²

Origin of courser³

First recorded in 1800–10; irregularly formed from New Latin cursōrius “fitted for running,” equivalent to Latin cur(rere) “to run” + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory ¹; cf. course