course

[ kawrs, kohrs ]

/ kɔrs, koʊrs /

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See synonyms for: course / coursed / courses / coursing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a direction or route taken or to be taken.

the path, route, or channel along which anything moves: the course of a stream.

advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement.

the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages: in the course of a year; in the course of the battle.

the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.: One runner fell halfway around the course.

a particular manner of proceeding: a course of action.

a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events: as a matter of course; the course of a disease.

a mode of conduct; behavior.

a systematized or prescribed series: a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments.

a program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in economics.

a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.

a part of a meal served at one time: The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas.

Navigation.

the line along the earth's surface upon or over which a vessel, an aircraft, etc., proceeds: described by its bearing with relation to true or magnetic north.
a point of the compass.

Nautical. the lowermost sail on a fully square-rigged mast: designated by a special name, as foresail or mainsail, or by the designation of the mast itself, as fore course or main course.

Building Trades. a continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof.

one of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume.

the row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to wale).

Often courses . the menses.

a charge by knights in a tournament.

a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent.

golf course.

a race.

verb (used with object), coursed, cours·ing.

to run through or over.

to chase; pursue.

to hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent.

to cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent.

Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.

verb (used without object), coursed, cours·ing.

to follow a course; direct one's course.

to run, race, or move swiftly: The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins.

to take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc.

OTHER WORDS FOR course

1 way, road, track, passage.

13a bearing.

6 method, mode.

7 process, career.

15 row, layer.

See synonyms for course on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about course

in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually: They will get their comeuppance in due course.

of course,

certainly; definitely: Of course I'll come to the party.
in the usual or natural order of things: Extra services are charged for, of course.

Origin of course

1250–1300; Middle English co(u)rs (noun) <Anglo-French co(u)rs(e), Old French cours <Latin cursus “a running, course,” equivalent to cur(rere) “to run” + -sus, variant of -tus suffix of verb action

OTHER WORDS FROM course

mul·ti·course, nounun·der·course, verb, un·der·coursed, un·der·cours·ing, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH course

coarse, course , curse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use course in a sentence

All these ways mRNA can fall apart or get waylaid by the immune system create an obstacle course for vaccine makers.
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold|Tina Hesman Saey|November 20, 2020|Science News
She fumbled with the door on a refrigerator truck, pulling open the latch and staring at the mountain of turkeys she had collected over the course of a week in a year unlike any Ames had seen working at the food pantry.
‘Can’t eat a gift card’: Rural food banks fight to put turkeys on the table|Kyle Swenson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
That came, of course, when Murray threw a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who made a leaping catch amid three defenders, with two seconds left to beat the Buffalo Bills, 32-30, Sunday in Arizona.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West|Mark Maske|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Over the course of 2020, readers have become increasingly comfortable with the concept of paying for news.
‘A start-up again’: New Quartz owner Zach Seward’s plan for longevity includes revenue innovation and reader support|Kayleigh Barber|November 20, 2020|Digiday

Missing, of course, was the sitcom’s beloved Uncle Phil, played with all the big uncle energy by James Avery, who died in 2013.
‘I lost everything’: Janet Hubert confronts Will Smith about their falling out in the ‘Fresh Prince’ reunion|Helena Andrews-Dyer|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
A chill coursed through me, but I resisted the urge to turn back.
When An Adopted Child Won’t Attach|Tina Traster|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During the Cold War, the fear of nuclear annihilation and missteps coursed through many societies well until the late 1960s.
Markets Relieved at Spain Bailout Deal; Financial World Still Worried|Zachary Karabell|June 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
At this, ripples of laughter coursed through the crowd of 3,000.
Obama Roasts Trump|Lloyd Grove|May 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Then she found, just as Caroline has with politics, that printer's ink coursed through her veins.
Caroline: The Reasons Why|Tina Brown|January 5, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The tears coursed freely down her cheeks, but never a word could she utter.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
My eyes were a fountain of tears, and they welled over their lids, and coursed down my rough visage, and fell hot upon my hands.
Confessions of a Thug|Philip Meadows Taylor
A kind of burning fever possessed me; my blood felt hot as it coursed through my veins; and the night, oh how I dreaded it!
Confessions of a Thug|Philip Meadows Taylor
It was in such a mood young Warlow stood, while the hopes and fears coursed dreamily through his soul.
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral|John Dunloe Carteret
One day, in a bright midday sun, an enormous bird coursed through the air.
A Passion in the Desert|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for course

course

/ (kɔːs) /

noun

a continuous progression from one point to the next in time or space; onward movementthe course of his life

a route or direction followedthey kept on a southerly course

the path or channel along which something movesthe course of a river
(in combination)a watercourse

an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is runa golf course

a period of time; durationin the course of the next hour

the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedurethe illness ran its course

a mode of conduct or actionif you follow that course, you will certainly fail

a connected series of events, actions, etc

a prescribed number of lessons, lectures, etc, in an educational curriculum
the material covered in such a curriculum

a prescribed regimen to be followed for a specific period of timea course of treatment

a part of a meal served at one timethe fish course

a continuous, usually horizontal, layer of building material, such as a row of bricks, tiles, etc

nautical any of the sails on the lowest yards of a square-rigged ship

knitting the horizontal rows of stitchesCompare wale 1 (def. 2b)

(in medieval Europe) a charge by knights in a tournament

a hunt by hounds relying on sight rather than scent
a match in which two greyhounds compete in chasing a hare

the part or function assigned to an individual bell in a set of changes

archaic a running race

as a matter of course as a natural or normal consequence, mode of action, or event

the course of nature the ordinary course of events

in course of in the process ofthe ship was in course of construction

in due course at some future time, esp the natural or appropriate time

of course

(adverb) as expected; naturally
(sentence substitute) certainly; definitely

run its course or take its course (of something) to complete its development or action

verb

(intr) to run, race, or flow, esp swiftly and without interruption

to cause (hounds) to hunt by sight rather than scent or (of hounds) to hunt (a quarry) thus

(tr) to run through or over; traverse

(intr) to take a direction; proceed on a course

Word Origin for course

C13: from Old French cours, from Latin cursus a running, from currere to run

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with course

course

In addition to the idiom beginning with course

course of true love never ran smoothly, the

also see:

crash course
in due course
matter of course
of course
par for the course
run its course
stay the course

course

OTHER WORDS FOR course

Idioms about course

Origin of course

OTHER WORDS FROM course

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH course

Words related to course

How to use course in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for course

Word Origin for course

Other Idioms and Phrases with course