Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

coursing

American  
[kawr-sing, kohr-] / ˈkɔr sɪŋ, ˈkoʊr- /

noun

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

  2. the sport of pursuing game with dogs that follow by sight rather than by scent.

coursing British  
/ ˈkɔːsɪŋ /

noun

  1. hunting with hounds or dogs that follow their quarry by sight

  2. a sport in which hounds are matched against one another in pairs for the hunting of hares by sight

"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

Etymology

Origin of coursing

First recorded in 1530–40; course + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Williams said there were problems locally involving fly-grazing - where animals are left on land without permission - as well as hare coursing and poaching.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Shares of PayPal were up 6.5% in afternoon action and coursing toward their largest one-day gain since April, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

I disliked Anton’s comment about how Ali could have been “twice” her size, but chalked it up to nerves and adrenaline that I imagine would be coursing through him in that moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

The documentaries provide visual accompaniment to the vivid writing coursing through “Last Rites,” which kicks off in 2018, when Osbourne’s medical troubles begin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

This was the moment he should have felt the thrum of power coursing through him, the same thrum he’d felt the night he’d first attempted his final rite of passage.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.