coach

American  

[kohch] / koʊtʃ /

noun

1. a large, horse-drawn, four-wheeled carriage, usually enclosed.

2. a public motorbus.

3. Railroads. day coach.

4. Also called air coach.  a class of airline travel providing less luxurious accommodations than first class at a lower fare.

5. a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes.

   a football coach.

6. a private tutor who prepares a student for an examination.

   Synonyms:

   preceptor, mentor

7. a person who instructs an actor or singer.

8. 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.

9. Nautical. an after cabin in a sailing ship, located beneath the poop deck, for use especially by the commander of the ship.

10. a type of inexpensive automobile with a boxlike, usually two-door, body manufactured in the 1920s.

11. mobile home.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give instruction or advice to in the capacity of a coach; instruct.

   She has coached the present tennis champion.

verb (used without object)

1. to act as a coach.

2. to go by or in a coach.

adverb

1. by coach or in coach-class accommodations.

   We flew coach from Denver to New York.

coach British  

/ kəʊtʃ /

noun

1. a vehicle for several passengers, used for transport over long distances, sightseeing, etc

2. a large four-wheeled enclosed carriage, usually horse-drawn

3. a railway carriage carrying passengers

4. a trainer or instructor

   a drama coach

5. a tutor who prepares students for examinations

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verb

1. to give tuition or instruction to (a pupil)

2. (tr) to transport in a bus or coach

Other Word Forms

• coachability noun
• coachable adjective
• coacher noun
• outcoach verb (used with object)
• overcoach verb
• uncoachable adjective
• uncoached adjective
• well-coached adjective

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

Ted Blaisdell, a 67-year-old retired teacher and drama coach, had decided to vote no, believing there has been government mismanagement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

However, the weekend ended with Rangers head coach Danny Rohl pleased to have extended his side's goal difference advantage over the other two.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

He also had a winning record in three stints as an interim coach, making him the only man in franchise history to serve as a player, assistant coach, head coach and general manager.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Wales looked comfortable in defence in the early stages, with new defence coach Tyrone Holmes clearly having an impact, but were caught narrow for the opening score.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Looking in the other direction, she saw that the coach was pulled by four spirited, pure black Andalusians.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• mentor
• teacher
• trainer