D defs.my
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Entry 18 senses · 3 variants Webster, 1913

Course

/(kōrs)/ · IPA /kɔɹs/
01 n. The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage.
  1. 1.
    The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage.
    “And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais.” — Acts xxi. 7.
  2. 2.
    The ground or path traversed; track; way.
    “The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket.” — Pennant.
  3. 3.
    Motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance.
    “A light by which the Argive squadron steers Their silent course to Ilium's well known shore.” — Dennham.
    “Westward the course of empire takes its way.” — Berkeley.
  4. 4.
    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. 5.
    Motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument.
    “The course of true love never did run smooth.” — Shak.
  6. 6.
    Customary or established sequence of events; recurrence of events according to natural laws.
    “By course of nature and of law.” — Davies.
    “Day and night, Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course.” — Milton.
  7. 7.
    Method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior.
    “My lord of York commends the plot and the general course of the action.” — Shak.
    “By perseverance in the course prescribed.” — Wodsworth.
    “You hold your course without remorse.” — Tennyson.
  8. 8.
    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. 9.
    The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn.
    “He appointed . . . the courses of the priests” — 2 Chron. viii. 14.
  10. 10.
    That part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments.
    “He [Goldsmith] wore fine clothes, gave dinners of several courses, paid court to venal beauties.” — Macaulay.
  11. 11.
    A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building.(Arch.)
  12. 12.
    The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc.(Naut.)
  13. 13.
    The menses.(Physiol.)
Phrases & compounds
In course — in regular succession.
Of course — by consequence; as a matter of course; in regular or natural order.
In the course of — at same time or times during.
Syn. Way; road; route; passage; race; series; succession; manner; method; mode; career; progress.
02 v. t. To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue.
imp. & p. p. Coursed; p. pr. & vb. n. Coursing
  1. 1.
    To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue.
    “We coursed him at the heels.” — Shak.
  2. 2.
    To cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer.
  3. 3.
    To run through or over.
    “The bounding steed courses the dusty plain.” — Pope.
03 v. i. To run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire.
  1. 1.
    To run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire.
  2. 2.
    To move with speed; to race; as, the blood courses through the veins.