course

1 of 2

noun

ˈkȯrs How to pronounce course (audio)
Synonyms of coursenext
1
: the act or action of moving in a path from point to point
the planets in their courses
2
: the path over which something moves or extends: such as
a
: racecourse
b(1)
: the direction of travel of a vehicle (such as a ship or airplane) usually measured as a clockwise angle from north
also : the projected path of travel
(2)
: a point of the compass
c
: watercourse
d
: golf course
3
a
: accustomed procedure or normal action
the law taking its course
b
: a chosen manner of conducting oneself : way of acting
Our wisest course is to retreat.
c(1)
: progression through a development or period or a series of acts or events
the course of history
(2)
: life history, career
4
: an ordered process or succession: such as
a
: a number of lectures or other matter dealing with a subject
took a course in zoology
also : a series of such courses constituting a curriculum
a premed course
b
: a series of doses or medications administered over a designated period
5
a
: a part of a meal served at one time
the main course
b
: layer
especially : a continuous level range of brick or masonry throughout a wall
c
: the lowest sail on a square-rigged mast

course

2 of 2

verb

coursed; coursing

transitive verb

1
: to follow close upon : pursue
2
a
: to hunt or pursue (game) with hounds
b
: to cause (dogs) to run (as after game)
3
: to run or move swiftly through or over : traverse
Jets coursed the area daily.

intransitive verb

: to run or pass rapidly along or as if along an indicated path
blood coursing through the veins
Phrases
in due course
: after a normal passage of time : in the expected or allotted time
His discoveries led in due course to new forms of treatment.
of course
1
: following the ordinary way or procedure
will be done as a matter of course
2
: as might be expected
Of course we will go.

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of course in a Sentence

Noun the course of a river The pilot brought the plane back on course. The ship was blown off course by a storm. She's taking a chemistry course this semester. Students earn the degree after a two-year course of study. There is no cure, but the treatment will slow the course of the disease. Verb the blood coursing through my veins Tears were coursing down his cheeks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Here’s the latest on what that means for consumers, federal agencies, corporate America, and — of course — Elon Musk. —William Gavin, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024 One piece of information or one name that someone provides can really change the course of a case. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
There’s hope coursing through every chord, so much so that lyrics feel like a bonus accessory here as opposed to a necessity. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024 Already, Phoenix city water is coursing through the futuristic facility’s pipes. —Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for course 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cours, borrowed from Anglo-French cours, curs, going back to Latin cursus "action of running, charge, movement along a path, progress," from currere "to run, flow" + -tus, suffix of verbal action — more at current entry 1

Note: As pointed out by Michiel de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Leiden, 2008), the expected outcome of the verbal adjective in *-to- and the verbal noun in *-tū- would be *kostus < *korstus < *kr̥s-to-, kr̥s-tū-, from the verbal base *kr̥s- (> currere). The attested form cursus for both the past participle and verbal noun reflects remodeling on the pattern of stems ending in a dental (as morsus from mordere "to bite," versus from vertere "to turn"). As generally in Latin, the verbal noun, where full grade of the root would be expected, has been supplanted by zero grade of the verbal adjective.

Verb

Middle English coursen "to pursue," derivative of cours course entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of course was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing course

Dictionary Entries Near course

couronne

course

coursed ashlar

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Course.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/course. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

course

1 of 2 noun
ˈkō(ə)rs How to pronounce course (audio)
ˈkȯ(ə)rs
1
: the act or action of moving in a path from point to point
the planets in their courses
2
: the direction or route of motion or progress
the course of a river
a ship's course
3
: land laid out for golf
4
a
: normal or accustomed process or procedure
the disease ran its course
b
: manner of proceeding : conduct
a wise course
c
: progression through a period of time or a series of acts or events
was built in the course of a year
5
a
: an ordered process or series
b
: a series of classes in a subject
also : a group of such courses
a four-year course in chemistry
6
: a part of a meal served at one time
had salad for the first course
7
: a layer of brick or other building material in a wall

course

2 of 2 verb
coursed; coursing
1
: to run through or over
buffalo coursed the plains
2
: to move rapidly : race
blood coursing through the veins
Etymology

Noun

Middle English cours, course "action of moving in a certain path, path of movement, progress," from early French curs, course (same meaning), derived from Latin currere "to run" — related to corridor, current

Medical Definition

course

noun
ˈkō(ə)rs, ˈkȯ(ə)rs How to pronounce course (audio)
1
: the series of events or stages comprising a natural process
the course of a disease
2
: a series of doses or medications administered over a designated period
a course of three doses daily for five days

More from Merriam-Webster on course

Nglish: Translation of course for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of course for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...