Showing results for "coupling"

• present participle of couple.

coupling

American  

[kuhp-ling] / ˈkʌp lɪŋ /

noun

couplings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that couples.

2. Machinery.

   1. a device for joining two rotating shafts semipermanently at their ends so as to transmit torque from one to the other.

   2. a part with an inside thread for connecting two pipes of the same diameter.

   3. a fitting at the end of a length of hose into which the end of another such length can be screwed or fitted.

3. Railroads. coupler.

4. Electricity.

   1. the association of two circuits or systems in such a way that power may be transferred from one to the other.

   2. a device or expedient to ensure this.

5. a short length of plumbing pipe having each end threaded on the inside.

6. the part of the body between the tops of the shoulder blades and the tops of the hip joints in a dog, horse, etc.

7. linkage.

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coupling British  

/ ˈkʌplɪŋ /

noun

1. a mechanical device that connects two things

2. a device for connecting railway cars or trucks together

3. the part of the body of a horse, dog, or other quadruped that lies between the forequarters and the hindquarters

4. electronics the act or process of linking two or more circuits so that power can be transferred between them usually by mutual induction, as in a transformer, or by means of a capacitor or inductor common to both circuits See also direct coupling

5. physics an interaction between different properties of a system, such as a group of atoms or nuclei, or between two or more systems

6. genetics the occurrence of two specified nonallelic genes from the same parent on the same chromosome

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• couplings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coupling

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at couple, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

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

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

"Together, they efficiently confine and enhance the twisting of light to create a strong coupling of spin between photons and electrons. This stabilizes the quantum state that makes quantum communication possible."

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

Mr. Mikhail cannot resist adding that Grietje’s coupling with Anthony was “akin to Desdemona’s love for Othello.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

And I had done many of the things she might have done: I had engineered a most unlikely prom coupling.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Related Words

• intercourse
• pairing