coach
Americannoun
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coaches
plural
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a large, horse-drawn, four-wheeled carriage, usually enclosed.
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a public motorbus.
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Railroads. day coach.
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Also called air coach. a class of airline travel providing less luxurious accommodations than first class at a lower fare.
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a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes.
a football coach.
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a private tutor who prepares a student for an examination.
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a person who instructs an actor or singer.
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Baseball. a playing or nonplaying member of the team at bat who is stationed in the box outside first or third base to signal instructions to and advise base runners and batters.
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Nautical. an after cabin in a sailing ship, located beneath the poop deck, for use especially by the commander of the ship.
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a type of inexpensive automobile with a boxlike, usually two-door, body manufactured in the 1920s.
verb (used with object)
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coaches,
present (3rd person singular)
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coached,
past participle, past
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coaching
present participle
verb (used without object)
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coaches,
present (3rd person singular)
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coached,
past participle, past
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coaching
present participle
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to act as a coach.
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to go by or in a coach.
adverb
noun
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a vehicle for several passengers, used for transport over long distances, sightseeing, etc
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a large four-wheeled enclosed carriage, usually horse-drawn
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a railway carriage carrying passengers
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a trainer or instructor
a drama coach
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a tutor who prepares students for examinations
verb
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to give tuition or instruction to (a pupil)
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(tr) to transport in a bus or coach
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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coachabilitynoun
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coachernoun
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overcoachverb
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outcoachverb (used with object)
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coachableadjective
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uncoachableadjective
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uncoachedadjective
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well-coachedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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coachsimple
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coachessimple
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have coachedperfect
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has coachedperfect
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am coachingprogressive
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are coachingprogressive
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is coachingprogressive
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have been coachingperfect progressive
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has been coachingperfect progressive
Past
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coachedsimple
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had coachedperfect
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was coachingprogressive
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were coachingprogressive
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had been coachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of coach
First recorded in 1550–60; 1840–50 for sense “tutor”; earlier coche(e), from Middle French coche, from German Kotsche, Kutsche, from Hungarian kocsi, short for kocsi szekér “cart of Kocs,” town on the main road between Vienna and Budapest; senses referring to tutoring from the conception of the tutor as one who carries the student through examinations
Explanation
Nowadays, we mostly think of a coach as someone who trains a team, but it can also refer to a vehicle, such as a horse-drawn coach or coach bus (the kind with a bathroom in the back). The first meaning of coach was in the mid-16th Century for a carriage, probably named for Kocs, the Hungarian village where they were first made and called kocsi. In the mid-19th Century, the name was given to railway cars, and nowadays the least expensive travel class is described as "coach." It's thought that the idea of a coach as a teacher came about because of the idea that a coach "carries" a student to success through his or her teaching.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dieffenbach was a wiry 6-foot-3 receiver preparing for his sophomore season in 2020 when coach Dustin Croick took over the Agoura football program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Former England batter Jonathan Trott is taking charge of the Lions' winter tours following the departure of former head coach Andrew Flintoff.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Or would they rather you coach them through that stalled proposal or imperfect presentation, so they can build the confidence and skill they need to take on more-challenging work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“He got hit in the back, and there were some issues there, bruising and pain, and that was a lot to have to fight through,” former Cal Poly head coach Paul Wulff said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I heard your coach tell you last week that he wants you to swim the fly at Spring Regionals.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
She adds that it took a lot of work with coaches and classes for her to relax into acting again, allowing Aida the comedian to rest while focusing on what this role required of her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
When he was alerted to the accusations, referee Edward Duckworth had lengthy discussions with both sets of coaches and paused the match while he waited to pass a message on to Millwall's safety officer.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Like many teams, the Brewers have three hitting coaches on their staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
It’s one thing for coaches to face a tired press in a climate-controlled room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Also, no parents, teachers, or coaches are allowed backstage. None. Okay. Here’s the running order for the show.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Some people have been encouraged to change financial details on lenders' paperwork, or are "coached" in ways to respond.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
"I got to see Mikel and how he coached and the influence he was having," said Wilshere.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
“In terms of myself, the teaching part of it was something that I’ve maybe grown a little bit since like the very first practice I coached two years ago,” Redick said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
His grandfather, Larry, is a former player and coached for many years at Villanova.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
But they were fearless and relentlessly coached and from the time they were able to walk they had only one certain goal in their lives in Odessa, Texas.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
The document, prepared for the Las Vegas Raiders as part of a coaching search, attempts to sum up Flores’s skills in candid, and sometimes controversial, terms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Back in Pipinsried, Hurzeler's name is still revered - and he has not forgotten where his coaching journey began.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"I am a coach at heart," said the former Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United winger, who spent several years working in coaching at Manchester City's academy.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Elite marathoners go to extreme lengths to chase top times, shelling out fortunes on fancy coaching and remote altitude camps to gain an edge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Webb’s in the dugout instead of coaching third because he still wants to be around the players in the game during the game like he was when he was an assistant.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
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