coupling

[kuhp-ling]

noun

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.

coupling

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of coupling¹

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

Example Sentences

Shortly after city officials pleaded for residents to save water, a coupling on a temporary pipe rigged to usher water into the struggling system failed.

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But also, he said he has simply found a way to throw with maximum effort more consistently — coupling it with an increased reliance on his sinker to attack the zone and induce quick outs.

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"This coupling likely reflects the transfer of learned information from the hippocampus to the cortex, enhancing long-term memory storage," Dr Cross says.

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By trapping individual bacteria in micro-engineered circular cavities and coupling these cavities through narrow channels, the team observed coordinated bacterial motion.

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It’s turtlenecks and quality sweaters, buying decorative gourds for an evening dinner party and coupling up for cuffing season, if not longer term.

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Related Words

• intercourse 
• pairing