course

[kawrs, kohrs]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR course 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.

Idioms

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

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

Can be confusedcoarse course curse

Synonyms for course

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR course ON THESAURUS.COM

1. way, road, track, passage. 2, 13a. bearing. 6. method, mode. 7. process, career. 15. row, layer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for courses

development, series, system, program, plan, way, policy, line, procedure, direction, track, route, trail, circuit, road, progress, term, time, conference, session

Examples from the Web for courses

Contemporary Examples of courses

I was also teaching my courses at UC-Berkeley much of that time, though I had time off in the summers and through a sabbatical.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America
David Yaffe, Scott Saul
December 10, 2014
In fact, he taught the most intensive artillery course in the South and very likely the equal of courses at West Point.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor
S. C. Gwynne
November 29, 2014
Gayness passes across my lips and courses through my veins like a 20-year-old scotch.
Rick Perry’s Stupid Comment on Booze and Sex(uality)
Sally Kohn
June 12, 2014
Courses include “A Taste of Italy,” “French Cuisine,” and “Treats to Beat the Heat.”
The Wildest Summer Camps for Kids
Justin Jones
April 28, 2014
The courses flown on the long haul routes were not the most direct, A to B.
The Exemplary Plane at the Heart of the MH370 Mystery
Clive Irving
March 27, 2014

Historical Examples of courses

We can turn rivers in their courses, level mountains to the plains.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
But the sun already is low in the west, and there will scarce be light for these courses.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
It is said he delivered seventy courses of medical lectures.
Cleveland Past and Present
Maurice Joblin
And what was it but want that drove them to both of these courses?
Freeland
Theodor Hertzka
He felt a little gloomy while the courses went on, and wished he had an evening paper.
A Woman Intervenes
Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for courses

courses

pl n

(sometimes singular) physiol another word for menses

course

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

Word Origin and History for courses

course

late 13c., "onward movement," from Old French cors (12c.) "course; run, running; flow of a river," from Latin cursus "a running race or course," from curs- past participle stem of currere "to run" (see current (adj.)).

Most extended senses (meals, etc.) are present in 14c. Academic meaning "planned series of study" is c.1600 (in French from 14c.). Phrase of course is attested from 1540s; literally "of the ordinary course;" earlier in same sense was bi cours (c.1300).

course

16c., from course (n.). Related: Coursed; coursing.

Idioms and Phrases with courses

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