couple

American  

[kuhp-uhl] / ˈkʌp əl /

noun

• couples
  plural

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.

6. a leash for holding two hounds together.

7. Fox Hunting. two hounds.

   25 hounds or 12½ couple.

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verb (used with object)

• couples,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coupled,
  past participle,  past
• coupling
  present participle

1. to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.

2. to join; connect.

3. to unite in marriage or in sexual union.

4. Electricity.

   1. to join or associate by means of a coupler.

   2. to bring (two electric circuits or circuit components) close enough to permit an exchange of electromagnetic energy.

verb (used without object)

• couples,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coupled,
  past participle,  past
• coupling
  present participle

1. to join in a pair; unite.

2. to copulate.

idioms

1. a couple of, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: Also a couple.

   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.

couple British  

/ ˈkʌpəl /

noun

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. hunting

   1. a pair of collars joined by a leash, used to attach hounds to one another

   2. two hounds joined in this way

   3. 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

   1. two dissimilar metals, alloys, or semiconductors in electrical contact, across which a voltage develops See thermocouple

   2. 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)

   1. a combination of two; a pair of

      a couple of men

   2. informal a small number of; a few

      a couple of days

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pronoun

1. (usually preceded by a; functioning as singular or plural) two; a pair

   give him a couple

verb

1. (tr) to connect (two things) together or to connect (one thing) to (another)

   to couple railway carriages

2. (tr) to do (two things) simultaneously or alternately

   he couples studying with teaching

3. to form or be formed into a pair or pairs

4. to associate, put, or connect together

   history is coupled with sociology

5. to link (two circuits) by electromagnetic induction

6. (intr) to have sexual intercourse

7. to join or be joined in marriage; marry

8. (tr) to attach (two hounds to each other)

Grammar

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.

Synonym Usage

See pair ¹

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coupleable
  adjective
• intercouple
  adjective
• well-coupled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• couples
  plural

Participles

• coupling
  present
• coupled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• couple
  simple
• couples
  simple
• have coupled
  perfect
• has coupled
  perfect
• am coupling
  progressive
• are coupling
  progressive
• is coupling
  progressive
• have been coupling
  perfect progressive
• has been coupling
  perfect progressive

Past

• coupled
  simple
• had coupled
  perfect
• was coupling
  progressive
• were coupling
  progressive
• had been coupling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will couple
  simple
• will have coupled
  perfect
• will be coupling
  progressive
• will have been coupling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of couple

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple, from Latin cōpula “a tie, bond” ( see copula); (verb) Middle English couplen, from Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler, from Latin copulāre ( see copulate)

Explanation

If you are hanging out with a couple of friends, you are hanging out with two friends. A couple is a pair or a twosome. As a verb, couple means "to pair or match." As a noun, couple means "a pair." If two people are dating, you can refer to them as "a couple." Similarly, two people who are married can be called a "married couple." Two guys playing basketball can be called "a couple of guys playing basketball." As a verb, couple means "to pair or combine," as people on a dance floor might couple or form pairs when the music starts. You can also couple two ideas by combining them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

couple couples coupled coupling

It also includes a couple of rare medical conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

My mom taped it when it first aired on cable a couple of years later and since it was based on a beloved board game, I was invested.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

He said the family was particularly concerned the couple did not receive a full medical assessment following their hunger strikes.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

With questions swirling around whether the stay is permanent, reports have noted the couple intend to keep their existing homes in California and Portugal.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

A couple of times I glimpsed the other operators on the main floor, stiffly positioned outside their cabs, waiting for customers.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

That exclusion can shelter up to $250,000 of gain, or up to $500,000 for married couples filing jointly.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Two couples were also onboard, including Michele Sensi-Contugi, a 44-year-old Ecuadorian intelligence chief, who died alongside his wife, Stephany Hollihan, a 42-year-old Ecuadorian fashion designer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

To bring couples together, he suggests shifting their outlook from short- to long-term.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

“I think all the couples know what they’re signing up for,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

At two a.m. they crossed paths with three couples walking together.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

“You have this incredible, hypersensitive performance by Pedro, coupled with a timeless arrangement which was definitely ahead of its time,” he explained.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

That has led to fall in supply which coupled with steady consumer demand has seen prices rise.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

It’s about soaring national debts, coupled with a refusal to admit that there is any limit to the amount that can be borrowed.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Longer repayments -- coupled with higher bills and stagnant wages -- have created the perfect storm for many families.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The horrible sound of the brakes being pulled, coupled with the metallic screech of the wheels against the rails, made it seem like the whole station was about to collapse around him.

From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

Until this series, the opening coupling had always seen the men choose first.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

That mutual struggle is something they can both understand, and it’s an integral part of why their coupling works.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Their coupling instantly captured the attention and hearts of fans around the world, and Swift’s presence at Chiefs games was even credited with bolstering female interest in NFL football.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

The idea would be to launch several rockets, one carrying crew or cargo, and the others carrying tanks of liquid oxygen and liquid methane that would be offloaded through coupling.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

I was holding to the hand-rods and crouching low, my feet on the coupling.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Related Words

• set
• team