Definitions for course
kɔrs, koʊrscourse

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.8 / 4 votes

1. course, course of study, course of instruction, classnoun

   education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

   "he took a course in basket weaving"; "flirting is not unknown in college classes"

2. course, linenoun

   a connected series of events or actions or developments

   "the government took a firm course"; "historians can only point out those lines for which evidence is available"

3. course, trendnoun

   general line of orientation

   "the river takes a southern course"; "the northeastern trend of the coast"

4. course, course of actionnoun

   a mode of action

   "if you persist in that course you will surely fail"; "once a nation is embarked on a course of action it becomes extremely difficult for any retraction to take place"

5. path, track, coursenoun

   a line or route along which something travels or moves

   "the hurricane demolished houses in its path"; "the track of an animal"; "the course of the river"

6. class, form, grade, coursenoun

   a body of students who are taught together

   "early morning classes are always sleepy"

7. coursenoun

   part of a meal served at one time

   "she prepared a three course meal"

8. course, rownoun

   (construction) a layer of masonry

   "a course of bricks"

9. courseverb

   facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport

   "the course had only nine holes"; "the course was less than a mile"

10. courseverb

    move swiftly through or over

    "ships coursing the Atlantic"

11. run, flow, feed, courseverb

    move along, of liquids

    "Water flowed into the cave"; "the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi"

12. courseadverb

    hunt with hounds

    "He often courses hares"

13. naturally, of course, courseadverb

    as might be expected

    "naturally, the lawyer sent us a huge bill"

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 4 votes

1. coursenoun

   A path, sequence, development, or evolution.

2. coursenoun

   A normal or customary sequence.

3. coursenoun

   A chosen manner of proceeding.

4. coursenoun

   Any ordered process or sequence or steps

5. coursenoun

   A learning program, as in a school.

   I need to take a French course to pep up.

6. coursenoun

   A treatment plan

7. coursenoun

   The itinerary of a race.

   The cross-country course passes the canal.

8. coursenoun

   A racecourse.

9. coursenoun

   A part of a meal.

   We offer seafood as the first course.

10. courseverb

    To run or flow (especially of liquids and more particularly blood).

11. courseverb

    To pursue by tracking or estimating the course taken by one's prey.

12. coursenoun

    The path taken by a flow of water; a watercourse.

13. coursenoun

    The trajectory of a ball, frisbee etc.

14. coursenoun

    The direction of movement of a vessel at any given moment.

    The ship changed its course 15 degrees towards south.

15. coursenoun

    The intended passage of voyage, such as a boat, ship, airplane, spaceship, etc.

    A course was plotted to traverse the ocean.

16. coursenoun

    The lowest square sail in a fully rigged mast, often named according to the mast.

    Main course and mainsail are the same thing in a sailing ship.

17. coursenoun

    A row of bricks or blocks.

    On a building that size, two crews could only lay two courses in a day.

18. coursenoun

    A row of material that forms the roofing, waterproofing or flashing system.

19. coursenoun

    In weft knitting, a single row of loops connecting the loops of the preceding and following rows.

20. coursenoun

    A string on a lute

21. coursenoun

    A golf course.

22. Etymology: From cours, from cursus, from curro.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. COURSEnoun

   Etymology: course, Fr. cursus, Latin.

   1. Race; career.

   And some she arms with sinewy force,
   And some with swiftness in the course. Abraham Cowley.

   2. Passage from place to place; progress. To this may be referred the course of a river.

   And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais. Acts xxi. 7.

   A light, by which the Argive squadron steers
   Their silent course to Ilium’s well known shore. John Denham.

   3. Tilt; act of running in the lists.

   But this hot knight was cooled with a fall, which, at the third course, he received of Phalantus. Philip Sidney.

   4. Ground on which a race is run.5. Track or line in which a ship sails, or any motion is performed.6. Sail; means by which the course is performed.

   To the courses we have devised studding-sails, sprit-sails, and top-sails, Walter Raleigh, Essays.

   7. Progress from one gradation to another.

   If she live long,
   And in the end meet the old course of death,
   Women will all turn monsters. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   When the state of the controversy is plainly determined, it must not be altered by another disputant in the course of the diiputation. Isaac Watts.

   8. Order of succession; as, every one in his course.

   If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 1 Cor. xiv. 27.

   9. Stated and orderly method.

   The duke cannot deny the course of law. William Shakespeare.

   If God, by his revealed declaration, first gave rule to any man, he, that will claim by that title, must have the same positive grant of God for his succession; for, if it has not directed the course of its descent and conveyance, no body can succeed to this title of the first Ruler. John Locke.

   10. Series of successive and methodical procedure.

   The glands did resolve during her course of physick, and she continueth very well to this day. Richard Wiseman, Surgery.

   11.The elements of an art exhibited and explained, in a methodical series. Hence our courses of philosophy, anatomy, chemistry, and mathematicks. Ephraim Chambers12. Conduct; manner of proceeding.

   Grittus perceiving the danger he was in, began to doubt with himself what course were best for him to take. Richard Knolles.

   That worthy deputy finding nothing but a common misery, took the best course he possibly could to establish a commonwealth in Ireland. John Davies, on Ireland.

   He placed commissioners there, who governed it only in a course of discretion, part martial, part civil. John Davies, on Ireland.

   Give willingly what I can take by force;
   And know, obedience is your safest course. John Dryden, Aurengz.

   But if a right course be taken with children, there will not be so much need of common rewards and punishments. John Locke.

   ’Tis time we should decree
   What course to take. Joseph Addison, Cato.

   The senate observing how, in all contentions, they were forced to yield to the tribunes and people, thought it their wisest course to give way also to time. Jonathan Swift.

   13. Method of life; train of actions.

   A woman of so working a mind, and so vehement spirits, as it was happy she took a good course; for otherwise it would have been terrible. Philip Sidney.

   His addiction was to courses vain;
   His companies unletter’d, rude and shallow;
   His hours fill’d up with riots, banquets, sports. William Shakespeare, H. V.

   Men will say,
   That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took,
   Her father’s house and civil life forsook. Matthew Prior.

   14. Natural bent; uncontrolled will.

   It is best to leave nature to her course, who is the sovereign physician in most diseases. William Temple.

   So every servant took his course,
   And, bad at first, they all grew worse. Matthew Prior.

   15. Catamenia.

   The like happens upon the stoppage of women’s courses, which, if not suddenly looked to, sets them undoubtedly into a consumption, dropsy, or some other dangerous disease. Gideon Harvey, on Consumptions.

   16. Orderly structure.

   The tongue defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature. James, iii. 6.

   17. [In architecture.]A continued range of stones, level or of the same height, throughout the whole length of the building, and not interrupted by any aperture. John Harris18. Series of consequences.

   Sense is of course annex’d to wealth and power;
   No muse is proof against a golden show’r. Samuel Garth.

   With a mind unprepossessed by doctors and commentators of any sect, whose reasonings, interpretation and language, which I have been used to, will of course make all chime that way; and make another, and perhaps the genuine meaning of the author, seem harsh, strained, and uncouth to me. John Locke.

   19. Number of dishes set on at once upon the table.

   Worthy sir, thou bleed’st:
   Thy exercise hath been too violent
   For a second course of fight. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   Then with a second course the tables load,
   And with full chargers offer to the god. John Dryden, Æn.

   You are not to wash your hands ’till after you have sent up your second course. Jonathan Swift, Directions to the Cook.

   So quick retires each flying course, you’d swear
   Sancho’s dread doctor and his wand was there. Alexander Pope.

   20. Regularity; settled rule.

   Neither shall I be so far wanting to myself, as not to desire a patent, granted of course to all useful projectors. Jonathan Swift.

   21. Empty form.

   Men talk as if they believed in God, but they live as if they thought there was none; their vows and promises are no more than words of course. Roger L'Estrange, Fab. 47.

2. To Courseverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To hunt; to pursue.

   The big round tears
   Cours’d one another down his innocent nose
   In piteous chase. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

   The king is hunting the deer; I am coursing myself. William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour lost.

   Where’s the thane of Cawdor?
   We cours’d him at the heels, and had a purpose
   To be his purveyor. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   2. To pursue with dogs that hunt in view.

   It would be tried also in flying of hawks, or in coursing of a deer, or hart, with greyhounds. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   I am continually starting hares for you to course: we were certainly cut out for one another; for my temper quits an amour just where thine takes it up. William Congreve, Old Batchelor.

   3. To put to speed; to force to run.

   When they have an appetite
   To venery, let them not drink nor eat,
   And course them oft, and tire them in the heat. Thomas May, Virg.

3. To Courseverb

   To run; to rove about.

   Swift as quicksilver it courses through
   The nat’ral gates and allies of the body. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

   The blood, before cold and settled, left the liver white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity and cowardice; but the sherris warms it, and makes it course from the inwards to the parts extreme. William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. ii.

   She did so course o’er my exteriours, with such a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning glass. William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor.

   Ten brace and more of greyhounds, snowy fair,
   And tall as stags, ran loose, and cours’d around his chair. Dry.

   All, at once
   Relapsing quick, as quickly re-ascend
   And mix, and thwart, extinguish, and renew,
   All ether coursing in a maze of light. James Thomson, Autumn.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. course

   A course is a series of lessons, classes, or educational sessions that are designed to teach a particular subject area or skill. It typically has a structured curriculum or syllabus and may include readings, lectures, assignments, exams, or other forms of assessments. Courses are often offered at educational institutions, such as schools, colleges, or universities, but can also be provided through online platforms or other learning environments.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Coursenoun

   the act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage

2. Coursenoun

   the ground or path traversed; track; way

3. Coursenoun

   motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance

4. Coursenoun

   progress from point to point without change of direction; any part of a progress from one place to another, which is in a straight line, or on one direction; as, a ship in a long voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations; also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of a race

5. Coursenoun

   motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument

6. Coursenoun

   customary or established sequence of events; recurrence of events according to natural laws

7. Coursenoun

   method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior

8. Coursenoun

   a series of motions or acts arranged in order; a succession of acts or practices connectedly followed; as, a course of medicine; a course of lectures on chemistry

9. Coursenoun

   the succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn

10. Coursenoun

    that part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments

11. Coursenoun

    a continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building

12. Coursenoun

    the lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc

13. Coursenoun

    the menses

14. Courseverb

    to run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue

15. Courseverb

    to cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer

16. Courseverb

    to run through or over

17. Courseverb

    to run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire

18. Courseverb

    to move with speed; to race; as, the blood courses through the veins

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Course

   The word course in the education context varies depending on which country it is used in. In higher education in Canada and the United States, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors, and has a fixed roster of students. It usually describes an individual subject taken. Students may receive a grade and academic credit after completion of the course. In the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore, "course" refers to the entire programme of studies required to complete a university degree, and the word "unit" or "module" would be used to refer to an academic course in the North American sense. In between the two, in South Africa, it is common for the word "course" officially to refer to the collection of all courses over a year or semester, though the American usage is common parlance. In the Philippines, the word course can be used to either refer to an individual subject or the entire programme. Courses in American universities are usually on a time restraint. Some courses are three weeks long, one semester long, last an academic year, and on some occasions three semesters long. A course is usually specific to the students' major and is instructed by a professor. For example, if a person is taking an Organic Chemistry course, then the professor would teach the students Organic Chemistry and how it applies to their life and or major. Courses can also be referred to as "electives". An elective is usually not a required course, but there are a certain number of non-specific electives that are required for certain majors. For more information about the correlation between courses and electives, please see the electives page below.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Course

   kōrs, n. the act of running: the road or tract on which one runs: the direction pursued: a voyage: a race: regular progress from point to point: habitual method of procedure: a prescribed series, as of lectures, &c.: each of the successive divisions of a meal, as dinner: conduct: a range of bricks or stones on the same level in building: (naut.) one of the sails bent to a ship's lower yards, as the main-sail, called the main-course, the fore-sail or fore-course, and the cross-jack or mizzen-course: (pl.) the menses.—v.t. to run, chase, or hunt after.—v.i. to move with speed, as in a race or hunt.—ns. Cours′er, a runner: a swift horse: one who courses or hunts; Cours′ing, hunting with greyhounds; Cours′ing-joint, a joint between two courses of masonry.—In course, in regular order: (coll.) of course; Of course, by natural consequence, or by settled rule. [Fr. cours—L. cursus, from currĕre, cursum, to run.]

Dictionary of Military and Associated TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. course

   The intended direction of movement in the horizontal plane.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. course

   The direction taken by anything in motion, shown by the point of the compass towards which they run, as water in a river, tides, and currents; but of the wind, as similarly indicated by the compass-point from which it blows. Course is also the ship's way. In common parlance, it is the point of the compass upon which the ship sails, the direction in which she proceeds, or is intended to go. When the wind is foul, she cannot "lie her course;" if free, she "steers her course."

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. course

   A form of education.

   We completed our online course very efficiently.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 3, 2020  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Course

   Course vs. Coarse -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Course and Coarse.

2. Course

   Coarse vs. Course -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Coarse and Course.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. COURSE

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Course is ranked #53316 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Course surname appeared 388 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Course.
   
   67% or 260 total occurrences were Black.
   29.1% or 113 total occurrences were White.
   1.5% or 6 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.2% or 5 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Matched Categories

1. • Action
   • Direction
   • Education
   • Gathering
   • Layer
   • Nutriment
   • Series
   • Traverse

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'course' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #509

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'course' in Written Corpus Frequency: #601

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'course' in Nouns Frequency: #108

Anagrams for course »

1. cerous

2. cerous

3. source

4. source

5. crouse

How to pronounce course?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say course in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of course in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of course in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of course in a Sentence

1. Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet:

   And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

2. Retief Goosen:

   Its an unbelievable course, its a golf course that hitting the fairways is the No. 1 priority, and even if youre on the fairway, sometimes you struggle to get close. Its a great golf course. This week it played tough with the way the wind blew.

3. Peggy Noonan:

   Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it's fresh, we're on the ocean. Of course it's for sale, we're not giving it away. Of course it's here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH.

4. Ferdinando Beccalli-Falco:

   Of course, we lost a lot of customers. Of course, we had to rebuild the customer base.

5. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

Popularity rank by frequency of use