Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Course?

\Course\ (k?rs), n. [F. cours, course, L. cursus, fr. currere to run. See {Current}.] 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. The ground or path traversed; track; way. The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket. --Pennant. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn. He appointed . . . the courses of the priests --2 Chron. viii. 14. 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. (Arch.) A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building. --Gwilt. 12. (Naut.) The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc. 13. pl. (Physiol.) The menses. {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. ``In the course of human events.'' --T. Jefferson. Syn: Way; road; route; passage; race; series; succession; manner; method; mode; career; progress.
\Course\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Coursed} (k?rst)); p. pr. & vb. n. {Coursing}.] 1. To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue. We coursed him at the heels. --Shak. 2. To cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer. 3. To run through or over. The bounding steed courses the dusty plain. --Pope.
\Course\, v. i. 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. To move with speed; to race; as, the blood courses through the veins. --Shak.