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[kawrs, kohrs] /kɔrs, koʊrs/

noun
1.
a direction or route taken or to be taken.
2.
the path, route, or channel along which anything moves:
the course of a stream.
3.
advance or progression in a particular direction; forward or onward movement.
4.
the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages:
in the course of a year; in the course of the battle.
5.
the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.:
One runner fell halfway around the course.
6.
a particular manner of proceeding:
a course of action.
7.
a customary manner of procedure; regular or natural order of events:
as a matter of course; the course of a disease.
8.
a mode of conduct; behavior.
9.
a systematized or prescribed series:
a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments.
10.
a program of instruction, as in a college or university:
a course in economics.
11.
a prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.
12.
a part of a meal served at one time:
The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas.
13.
Navigation.

14.
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.
15.
Building Trades. a continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof.
16.
one of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume.
17.
the row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to ).
18.
Often, courses. the menses.
19.
a charge by knights in a tournament.
20.
a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
21.
.
22.
a race.
verb (used with object), coursed, coursing.
23.
to run through or over.
24.
to chase; pursue.
25.
to hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
26.
to cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent.
27.
Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.
verb (used without object), coursed, coursing.
28.
to follow a course; direct one’s course.
29.
to run, race, or move swiftly:
The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins.
30.
to take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc.
Idioms
31.
in due course, in the proper or natural order of events; eventually:
They will get their comeuppance in due course.
32.
of course,

/kɔːs/
noun
1.
a continuous progression from one point to the next in time or space; onward movement: the course of his life
2.
a route or direction followed: they kept on a southerly course
3.

4.
an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is run: a golf course
5.
a period of time; duration: in the course of the next hour
6.
the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure: the illness ran its course
7.
a mode of conduct or action: if you follow that course, you will certainly fail
8.
a connected series of events, actions, etc
9.

10.
a prescribed regimen to be followed for a specific period of time: a course of treatment
11.
a part of a meal served at one time: the fish course
12.
a continuous, usually horizontal, layer of building material, such as a row of bricks, tiles, etc
13.
(nautical) any of the sails on the lowest yards of a square-rigged ship
14.
(knitting) the horizontal rows of stitches Compare wale1 (sense 2b)
15.
(in medieval Europe) a charge by knights in a tournament
16.

17.
the part or function assigned to an individual bell in a set of changes
18.
(archaic) a running race
19.
as a matter of course, as a natural or normal consequence, mode of action, or event
20.
the course of nature, the ordinary course of events
21.
in course of, in the process of: the ship was in course of construction
22.
in due course, at some future time, esp the natural or appropriate time
23.
of course

24.
run its course, take its course, (of something) to complete its development or action
verb
25.
(intransitive) to run, race, or flow, esp swiftly and without interruption
26.
to cause (hounds) to hunt by sight rather than scent or (of hounds) to hunt (a quarry) thus
27.
(transitive) to run through or over; traverse
28.
(intransitive) to take a direction; proceed on a course
n.

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).
v.

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

Related Terms

crib course, gut course, par for the course, pipe course, snap course
In addition to the idiom beginning with
course