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course noun 1 & adverb 1

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Earlier version

course, n. in OED Second Edition (1989)

In other dictionaries

cǒurs, n. in Middle English Dictionary

What does the word course mean?

There are 55 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word course , 18 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

course has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

How common is the word course ?

How is the word course pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the word course come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the word course is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for course is from around 1300, in Southern Passion .

course is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: French cours ; French course ; Latin cursus .

Nearby entries

courier bag, n. 1848–
couriered, adj. 1992–
couriering, n. 1738–
courierish, adj. 1879–
couril, n. 1889–
courlan, n. 1893–
courouce, n. 1450
couroux, n. a1450
coursable, adj. 1451–1549
coursably, adv. 1483–1525
course, n.¹ & adv.¹ c1300–
course, n.² 1466–
course, v. c1500–
'course, adv.² 1887–
course-a-park, n. a1642–1729
coursebook, n. 1854–
course Camarguaise, n. 1988–
course clearer, n. 1820–
course correct, v. 1986–
course correction, n. 1860–
course credit, n. 1894–

Meaning & use

Oure louerd..Ordeyne..wolde al his dede bi cours of sonne & mone.

Þe heouene geth ene a-boute þoruȝ daiȝe and þoruȝ nyȝt..Heo makez euene þus hire cours and comez a-boute wel sone.

His aristable he took out sone. Þe cours he tolde of sonne and mone; Þe cours of þe planetes seuene He tolde.

In whech planetes cours and turnyng..is ful grete melodye.

These.. courses , and recourses of the Starres.

The Moon her monthly Course had now begun.

The sun continues its course in the same direction.

The earth..performs its yearly course about the sun.

As the sun continues its course across the sky, we relive this energy cycle every twenty-four hours.

I sih a barli cake, Which fro the Hull..cam rollende doun..Forth in his cours .

For swyfter cours cometh þyng þat is of wighte, whan it descendeth þan don þynges lyghte.

The worthie Captayne..although hys Mast was sprong..continued hys course towardes the Northweast.

We continued our course with our Oars and Sails for seven whole days together.

When the proud Steed shall know, why Man restrains His fiery course .

They slackened their course .

Here he checked his course , and descended in wide circles to the earth.

The boy crossing the street became aware that his challenge was being met in a different way this time, and rose to that challenge by slowing his course .

As she watched, it slowed its course until it was completely still, hovering in mid-air a few yards above her head.

rune Old English–1330 Course, onward movement, esp. of a celestial object; (also) rapid movement, running, esp. of a person.
draught a1325–1470 The action of moving along (cf. draw , v. IV.48); course, going, way. Obsolete .
course a1393– Onward movement or travel, esp. in a particular path or direction. Usually with possessive pronoun.
career ?c1550– The (rapid) movement of a person or thing along a particular course. Sometimes: spec. the movement of the sun, a star, etc., through the sky.
addression 1602–31 In the writings of George Chapman: direction or betaking of oneself (to a person or place). Cf. address , v. III.13.
tendence 1644–98 = tendency , n. 1b. Also figurative . Obsolete .
tendency 1653–1721 Movement or advance in the direction of something; a making toward something. Obsolete .
ducture a1674–91 Extension or movement in some direction.
traduction 1675 Apparently: the course or natural line of something. Obsolete . rare .
heading a1855– The action or an act of facing or moving in a specified direction. Also figurative with reference to progress over time.

On and oþur a non up lep To þe sonne bem with cours gret.

On our folk dasseand come Wiþ strong cours and gret hete.

A pece with a grete cours at ons felle doun alle.

Þas riuers commez with so grete a course and so grete a birre.

Troiell..Kayres euyn to the kyng..With all the corse of his caple & a kene speire.

course c1300–1540 Swift or violent motion; force or energy of movement. Chiefly in with (a) great (also strong) course . Obsolete .
swough 1338–1500 A forcible movement; impetus.
sway c1374– The sweeping or swinging motion of a heavy body, a storm, etc.; the impetus or momentum of a body, etc. in motion. Obsolete or dialect .
birr a1382– The force of the wind, or of any moving body; momentum, impetus; rush. to take or fetch one's birr : to gather impetus for a leap by a short run or…
feeze c1405– A rush, impetus; hence, a violent impact. Also, a rub. Now dialect and U.S.
impet c1440 = impetus , n.
radeur 1477–1770 Rapidity; impetus, force.
ravin a1500 Impetus, violence, force. Obsolete . rare .
sweight 1513 ‘The force of a body in motion’ (Jamieson); impetus.
bensel a1522– Bending, tension, spring (of mental faculties); strong bent or determination; impetus (of a body in motion).
swinge 1583–1696 Impetus (of motion); impetuous or forcible sweeping or whirling movement. Obsolete .
impetus 1656– The force with which a body moves or maintains its velocity and overcomes resistance; energy of motion; impulse, impulsion.
motive power 1702– The power to initiate movement, esp. the muscular or mechanical power needed to move the body or a machine; (hence) the force acting on a body to…
impulse 1715– The effect produced by impulsion; motion caused by the sudden application of force; momentum, impetus.
momentum 1740–1826 Force of movement. Obsolete .
impulsion 1795– Tendency to onward motion imparted by some force or influence; impetus.
send 1890–99 An accelerating impulse; impetus. Cf. send , n.²

A cours he toke with o felawe [ c 1390 Vernon MS. A cours he tok wiþ his felawe] Gregorie þe swiftere was.

To morowe shall be the courses of the horses.

They which runne in a course runne all, yet butt one receaveth the rewarde.

I runne as Hippomanes did with Atlanta, who was last in the course , but first at the crowne.

O're th' Elean Plains, thy well-breath'd Horse Sustains the goring Spurs, and wins the Course .

The name of the person who had gained the prize in the course of the stadium was inscribed..in the public register of the Eleans.

The first day's course , four mile heats for $500, was contended by Mr. Van Ranst's mare from Maryland, Lady Lightfoot, [etc.]

course c1350–1821 A race on foot or on horseback. Obsolete ( archaic in later use).
race 1513– A contest of speed in running, riding, sailing, or some other activity, between two or more competitors.
coursing 1569–1613 More generally: the action of running, racing, or moving quickly. Obsolete .
brush 1841– A rapid run or race; a contest in speed. dialect and U.S.

Sche [ sc. þe bicche] dureþ lasse in cours and in rennynge [L. in cursu minus durat ] .

Huon..made a course to asay his horse.

They are most swift in course , and wil runne a race as fast as any horse.

No man could lay hand vpon an Ostrich..For she runs away flying vsing her feet for course , & lifting vp her selfe with her wings.

The Word berach ..denotes here most vehement and restless endeavours, in a speedy course : like that of a Roe Buck, or wild Goat rather; whose agility, both in running and jumping is celebrated by all Authors.

ren a1325–1846 A run; a course.
course a1398–1700 Esp. of an animal: the action or an act of running. Also: a period of riding on horseback, esp. at a gallop. Obsolete .
race a1400– An act of running; a run. Frequently in in (also on, with) a race . Also figurative . Now Scottish .
rink a1522–96 Scottish . The action of running; an instance of this. Obsolete .
run 1638 An act or spell of running ( run , v. I.i.1a); frequently one made in preparation for a jump, throw, bowl, etc. Also figurative and in extended use…
scour 1820– The action of moving rapidly or going in haste; a run or rush. †Adverbial phrase good scour = with hasty movement, at a good pace ( obsolete ).
course c1515 Esp. of an animal: the action or an act of running. Also: a period of riding on horseback, esp. at a gallop. Obsolete .
gallop 1596– A ride at this pace.
wallop 1896 A ride at this pace. rare . (? jocular .)

In armes y wil me diȝte..& bere to þe a spere, with anoþer ryd þou to me wyþ a cors of werre.

What knyght was he that rode best cours ?

And at foure cours thei haue hem perced thourgh.

Eyther of them set hys speare in the rest to have runne the first course .

The Earle himselfe..horsed and armed, did run very many Courses , & specially..(as they cal it) the Course of the field, which I had neuer seene before.

There was tilting, course of field, and many such braue exercises.

We ran our course ,—my charger fell;—What could he 'gainst the shock of hell?

Grand-guards à la mentonière of wood are screwed on the breast-plates by nuts, and retain the indentations received in the course .

King Henry VIII of England staged a joust on 12 February 1511 in which each knight was required to ride six courses .

fight Old English– A combat, battle. A hostile encounter or engagement between opposing forces; = battle , n. I.1. Now archaic or rhetorical .
stour c1325– An armed combat or conflict; esp. a contest in battle; a fight. Obsolete exc. archaic .
acounter c1330–1500 An armed encounter; an attack.
meeting c1330–1596 An armed encounter; a fight, a battle. Obsolete .
set c1330 ? A setting oneself to fight, encounter, attack. Obsolete .
shower a1375–1576 A military assault or attack; (also) an armed conflict, a battle. Also figurative . Obsolete .
course c1380– A charge on horseback towards an opponent, performed by combatants in battle or in a jousting tournament. historical after the early 17th century.
brush a1400– A forcible rush, a hostile collision or encounter; in later use, chiefly a short but smart encounter.
sembly a1400–1600 Hostile meeting, conflict; = assembly , n. I.3.
hosting 1422– The raising of a host or armed multitude; hostile encounter or array, raid; an encampment; (formerly, esp. in Ireland) a military expedition.
poynye c1425–1550 A fight, a skirmish.
conflict c1440– An encounter with arms; a fight, battle.
militance a1460 Combat or warfare. Also: the Church Militant ( church , n.¹ & adj. compounds C.2). Obsolete .
grate 1460–1509 Collision (of weapons). Cf. grate , v.¹ 6.
rencounter 1471– An encounter or engagement between two opposing military forces; a battle, a skirmish.
chaple a1500 A fierce combat or encounter.
flite a1513 A contest, struggle. Obsolete .
concourse ?1520–1667 Hostile encounter or onset. Obsolete .
concursion 1533– Running or rushing together; concourse.
rescounter 1543–1683 An encounter, meeting, esp. a hostile or competitive one. Cf. recounter , n.¹ 2a, rencounter , n. 1. Obsolete .
spurn c1560 An encounter, fray. Obsolete . rare .
rencontre a1572– = rencounter , n. 1a. Now rare .
discourse 1573–1619 Course of arms (cf. course , n.¹ A.I.4); combat. Obsolete .
action 1579– A military engagement, a battle.
combat 1582– gen. A fight between opposing forces; struggle, contest; usually on a smaller scale than a battle . (Used both with and without a and plural )
opposition 1598–1655 A fight between two opposing combatants or forces; armed combat. Obsolete .
do 1915– Originally English regional and nonstandard . A social event, a party; a performance or show. Also in extended use: spec. (originally humorous ) a…
enpraynt 1490 A shock, encounter.
shock 1550– Military . A violent encounter of an armed force with enemy troops, esp. following a charge; a military assault, or the impact of this. Also: the…
jostling 1580– The action of jostle , v. ; †the shock of the tournament; clashing; collision; knocking or pushing about.
career a1604–1870 At a tournament or in battle: a charge of a rider on horseback; a meeting of adversaries. Obsolete ( historical in later use).

Þis ilond..is often i-bete wiþ dyuers cours of wateres and stremes and wiþ wawes of þe see.

Of whos mouþ out þer ran So grete cours of watres þan, Þat hit semed..Þat hit fulde þe chirche.

Whanne þe cours of þe mater ceessiþ.

Many other common waies..be so depe and noyous, by wearyng and course of water.

The euacuacyon of the cours of to moche blode.

At the Suns approach [the snow] thaws, and by its violent course or flux of Water causes those inundations [of the Nile] .

The water was very thick and muddy, occasioned by the rapid course of the river, the afflux of which was now at the highest.

The tangled swamp in which a stream loses itself, breaking into many sluggish arms, from which at last the waters converge to resume a rapid course over a narrow bed.

course a1387–1912 Of a fluid, current, etc.: the action or an act of running or flowing, esp. swiftly or copiously. Obsolete .
gurgitation 1860– Surging or whirling up and down; ebullient motion.

Þat humouris mown not have her cours to renne to þe wounde.

The religioun now estableist to have course , and to be reverencit be all men.

Pray for vs, that the word of the Lord may haue free course .

We have got free course for ideas.

course a1400–1863 Chiefly figurative . Opportunity or ability to move, flow, etc. Obsolete .
locomotive faculty 1612– An inherent ability to move from one position or place to another, as by an act of will.
locomotive power 1640– a. Power used or available for the purpose of locomotion; an instance of this; b. power provided by railway locomotives.
locomotive 1649–76 = locomotive faculty , n. Obsolete . rare .
locomotivity 1752– Capacity for locomotion; the ability to move from one place to another. Cf. locomobility , n. , locomotility , n.
mobility 1777– Ease or freedom of movement; capacity for rapid or comfortable locomotion or travel.
locomobility 1785– The ability to move from one place to another; a tendency to move about. Cf. locomotility , n. , locomotivity , n.
travel 1816–92 Capacity or force of movement. Obsolete .
locomotility 1828– Capacity for locomotion; the ability to move about or change position. Cf. locomobility , n. , locomotivity , n.
motiveness 1828 Capacity for movement, mobility.

This duc wol han a cours at hym or tweye With houndes.

Yf ye have ony grehowndes hom with yow to bryng, A cours ther schall ye have.

To see a corse at a Hare.

No game shall But we'll be ready for't; if a Hare, my Greyhounds Shall make a course .

The course of the deer in the forest or purlieu.

There are several Courses with Greyhounds, namely, at the Deer, Hare, and Fox.

Many instances have occurred of real racing Courses of the Hare by Greyhounds in an open country.

Johnny Moor practically ran a single-handed course , as Brave Briton was unable to raise a gallop.

The money goes on the two greyhounds which contest each course and the hare is merely the bait to make them give of their best.

It is possible for the hare to outrun the greyhounds.., at which point the course is over.

course c1405– A chase or pursuit of game (esp. hares) by hounds (esp. greyhounds or other sight hounds); the action or practice of coursing, or pursuing game…
the leash 1526–1665 the leash : (a) The department of the king's household concerned with the keeping of the hounds; (b) the art or practice of coursing.
coursing a1552– The activity or sport of hunting game, esp. hares, with dogs, esp. greyhounds or other sight hounds, sometimes as part of a race or contest between…
jelly-dogging 1889– A harrier (so called from being used to hunt hares, which are eaten with currant jelly); hence jelly-dogging , hunting with harriers.

Keepe them [ sc. greyhounds] also in the leame or slip..vntill they see their course , I meane the Hare or Deere.

They [ sc. greyhounds] must also be kept in a slip whilst they are abroad, until they can see their Course .

prey a1250– An animal that is hunted or killed, esp. (and now only) by a carnivore for food; the kinds of animal, collectively, that are hunted by a carnivore…
wild c1275–1599 A wild animal, or wild animals collectively; spec. a beast, or beasts, of the chase; a hunted animal or animals; game. Obsolete .
felon 1297– Law . One who has committed felony.
wild beast c1325– Originally in wild , adj. A.I.1, now always with mixture of A.II.8 (see beast , n. & adj. ); also figurative (cf. beast , n. A.II.7b, A.II.4).
game c1330– That which is being pursued in the course of hunting or the chase; a quarry.
venison 1338– collective . (See quot. 1603 at sense.) Now archaic .
venery a1375–1630 Wild animals hunted as game. Also figurative .
chase 1393– The object of pursuit; the hunted animal.
waith a1400–1540 Game for or obtained by hunting; spoil of the chase; also gen. spoil, booty.
beast of chase a1425– An animal that is hunted for sport (cf. chase , n.¹ 1b).
quarry c1500– An animal pursued or taken by a hunt with hounds, or by hunters using other means.
gibier 1514– Game; wildfowl.
wild meat 1529– Living animals such as are killed for food; a hunter's quarry or prey. wild meat n. originally Scottish game.
beasts of warren 1539–1628 beasts of warren , fowls of warren : see quots. 1598, 1628.
hunt-beast a1600 A beast of the chase.
outlaw 1599– In extended use: a wild, untamed, or hunted animal.
course 1607–1704 A hare or other animal coursed by hounds. Obsolete .
big game 1773– Large animals hunted as game; frequently attributive .
head 1795 A group or indefinite number of animals; esp. a stock or managed population of game or (now usually) fish.
meat 1851– Living animals such as are killed for food; a hunter's quarry or prey. wild meat n. originally Scottish game.
purchase a1450 The action of seizing or taking something forcibly; pillage, plunder. Also (chiefly Scottish ): the action of hunting or seizing prey. Obsolete .
small game c1474– Small animals hunted as game; in later use frequently attributive ; cf. big game , n.
meat 1529– Living animals such as are killed for food; a hunter's quarry or prey. wild meat n. originally Scottish game.
hunt 1588–1616 concrete . That which is hunted; game killed in hunting: = chase , n.¹ 4. Obsolete .
felon 1735 Law . One who has committed felony.
ground-game 1872– Game which lives on the ground, as hares and rabbits.

Thir mesuris, pynt and ferlot, haif course and nane uthir.

Almaner of pens..havyng the prynt of the kynges coyne shall have cours and be curraunt for payment.

Those penyes to be taken & have course oonlye for halpens.

The particular species of Forraign Coyn, above and after mentioned, shal have course within this Kingdom at the rates following.

Money being any matter, as metal, wood, leather, glass, horn, paper, fruits, shells, or kernels, which have course as a medium of commerce.

course 1458–1756 The passage or circulation of currency. Chiefly in to have course : to be in general use, esp. (of money) to be in circulation, to serve as a general…
gang 1488 figurative . Currency (of money). Obsolete .
walking 1549–1613 The passing (of money) from hand to hand. Cf. walk , v. II.5d. Obsolete .
current 1586–1803 Circulation ( of money). Cf. currency , n. A.I.1a. Obsolete .
currence 1605–1854 The fact or quality of being current, prevalent, or in circulation; currency.
currency 1623– The fact or quality of particular coins, notes, etc., being in circulation; the legitimacy of using a particular system of money as a medium of…
emission 1729– The issuing or setting in circulation (bills, notes, shares, etc.). Also concrete .
running 1788 With reference to coinage: the fact of being in circulation with a certain value. Obsolete . rare .
mobilization 1801– Economics and Finance . The action or process of bringing into circulation or realizing assets, capital, etc.; an instance of this. In Law : the…
monetarization 1967– = monetization , n.

Bacchides made no account to pursue them; but fortefied some Townes, and planted strong Garisons in them, daily to torment the Iewes by sallies & courses .

The Moores..make sallies and courses upon the Christian countries.

Not daring to make courses and inrodes to waste and pillage it.

road Old English–1817 spec. The act of riding with hostile intent against a person or district; a hostile incursion by mounted men; a foray, raid. Obsolete ( archaic in…
skeck 1297–1330 An attack made for the sake of plunder; a petty raid. Cf. skeg , n.³
chevachee c1380–1592 An expedition on horseback; a raid, campaign.
foray c1400– A hostile or predatory incursion or inroad, a raid. †in, of foray : on a foray.
reise a1450–1609 A journey; spec. a military expedition, a hostile incursion or inroad, a raid or foray.
raid 1455– Originally Scottish . A mounted military expedition; a hostile and predatory incursion (originally on horseback); an aggressive foray. Cf. inroad , n. …
excourse ?1520–84 The action of running forth or out; an excursion or sally; usually a hostile or marauding one.
bodrag 1537–95 A hostile incursion, a raid.
skeg 1542–45 = skeck , n.
reid 1544–1712 A mounted military expedition or incursion; = raid , n. II.2a. Obsolete .
inroad 1548– A hostile incursion into a country; a raid or foray.
outroad 1560–1865 An act of riding out; esp. a warlike excursion or raid, a sortie. Also figurative .
excursion 1577–1701 Military . An issuing forth against an enemy; a sally, sortie, raid. Obsolete except in phr. alarms and excursions at alarm , int. & n. & adv. …
excurse 1587 An outrush, raid, hostile sally.
bodraging 1590
cavalcade 1591–1703 A ride, a march or raid on horseback. Obsolete .
chevachance 1592 = chevachee , n.
chivancy 1616– Error for chevachee , n.
course 1619–78 A raid or incursion. Obsolete .
algarade a1649– A hostile incursion, a surprise attack. Later also in weakened sense: an outburst, a tirade.
outrake a1765–1860 An expedition, an outing; a raid. Obsolete .
commando 1791– South African . An armed and usually mounted party of men, typically civilians, mustered, esp. against Indigenous peoples, for forays, reprisals, and…
razzia 1821– Esp. in North Africa: a hostile or aggressive incursion, foray, or raid, esp. for the purposes of conquest, plunder, capture of slaves, etc.
muru 1836– A Māori raid undertaken as a compensation or reprisal for an offence against the community.
chappow 1860– A plundering expedition, a raid.
night raid 1872–

Þe kours was seue mile long.

A Course , cursus..stadium .

Every man may put in his horse, mare, or gelding at his pleasure, 'tis the Liberty of the Subject, and so his that sets up the Course .

Prizes to reward the Force Of rapid Racers in the dusty Course .

The same horse has also run the round course at Newmarket..in six minutes and forty seconds.

The finest racehorse..is never seen to less advantage than when walking over the course .

The Harvard-Yale University eight-oared boat-race was rowed last Friday on the course at New London.

On account of the intense heat, it was agreed upon to have four food stations along the course so that the runners could get water, sandwiches and whatever else they might need.

Gillow has several times skidded round at the back of the course , and now officials show him a black flag.

Exciting stretch runner should have plenty of speed to chase on a turf course that favors off-the-pace runners at route distances.

To watch the adventure race—an 81-mile course that includes mountaineering, hiking, biking,.. [etc.] —I station myself below the Tyrolean traverse.

The 24-year-old Elliott..won on road courses at Charlotte and at Watkins Glen last year.

course c1330– A piece of ground, track, or stretch of water used for racing; a racecourse or racetrack. In later use also: a prepared or prescribed route for…
race 1612–1890 A portion of time or space. A piece of level ground suitable for running or racing. Obsolete .
piste 1696– A trail or track beaten by a horse, mule, etc.; the track of a racecourse or training ground. In later use also more generally: any track or trail.
route 1771– The designated course of a race.
track 1836– A path made or laid down for a special purpose; spec. A course prepared or laid out for racing, or the like.
dog track 1854– a. A track or trail left by a dog; usually in plural ; b. a track ( track , n. I.6b) used in greyhound racing.
path 1883– A specially laid track for runners or other sportspeople. rare .
dog park 1928– a. U.S. a track for dog racing; = dog track , n. (b); b. originally and chiefly U.S. a park set aside for dog owners to exercise their dogs, esp…
athletics track 1952–
parcours 1971– A jogging track with exercise stations situated at intervals along the course.

The race-course and training-ground were called in requisition to form part of the Steeple-chase course .

At first, when the fences were really such as only a perfect hunter could get over, none but such horses were of any use; and if these courses had continued to be fixed upon, no doubt some little encouragement might have been afforded to the breeder to produce strong yet active horses.

The Committee..decreed that courses should consist of so many fences of given dimensions.

The course is set up with a variety of jumps placed around the hall or ring.

The dog show..has classes for pedigree and non pedigree dogs as well as obedience classes and dog agility course .

Sarah walked the course with Louise and Katie, which included two doubles, a scary-looking upright with shaped blue planks, [etc.] .

He being..often observ'd in the Cours at Paris in a very rich Coach, drawn by six dapple-Gray Spanish Horses.

Rich Coaches..full of Noblesse, who every night frequent the Course .

The agreeable promenades, the fashionable course —those are the charms of Brussels!

I have seen some mean small cities, where thirty wretched carriages were figuring on the corse , drawn by the most ordinary horses.

No hired carriage is admitted to pass round in this gay and fashionable course .

In the early days the Calcutta Course was the scene of much jollity and bonhommie.

outleap 1647–52 A place to which excursions are made. rare .
course a1684– A fashionable place for horse riding or carriage driving. Now historical .

Many of the golfers are content with a shorter course .

Some think our course is easy, wi' hazards nane ava'.

There was no rough on the courses I saw in the South and West on my 1947 trip.

El Kantaoui..is a genuine grass course .

The Algarve's first and largest resort has..two outstanding 18-hole courses .

links 1728– In plural . The ground on which golf is played, often resembling that described in b. In modern usage sometimes treated as a singular.
course 1807– An area of land used for playing golf; a golf course.
golf course 1813– A large piece of land laid out with a course on which golf is played, typically comprising a series of tees, fairways, bunkers and other hazards…
golf links 1891– The ground on which golf is played.
golf-green 1894– = golf links , n.

Othere toke þat cors an haste & to þe tour ȝeate þar-wiþ buþ wente.

His cours he nam with Seil updrawe.

The heiest cours þat any sterre fix clymbith by nyht.

Thesaid erle..made his course thether.

Homeward did they bend their course .

That a Ship..when the Wind blows, be mov'd in such a way or course to that or t'other place.

A Sail, which he had a mind to make, being not much out of his Course .

Three men were seen on the ice bending their course townward.

He therefore directed his course to the convoy.

Their gallop is directed into a circular course by the men surrounding them.

I proceeded against the wind... I was able to direct my course at will.

Nor do police departments recommend..using their vehicles for ‘pit maneuvers’, whereby a patrolman taps a speeding car to change its course or spin it.

path Old English– The course along which a person or thing moves or passes; an imaginary line representing this.
running Old English–1617 The course or direction followed by something. Obsolete . rare .
way Old English– The course or path described by the actual motion of a person, animal, or object; the route or line along which something moves. Usually with…
trace a1300–1768 The way or path which anything takes; course, road; esp. in to take one's trace , to make one's way, take one's course, proceed. Obsolete .
course c1380– The path or line along which a person or thing moves or travels; the route or direction in which a person intends to travel. Usually with…
race c1390–1635 The course, line, or path taken by a person or a moving body. Also figurative . Obsolete .
recourse ?c1425–1761 Movement, flow; a course, passage, or path to or into something. Also in extended use. Obsolete .
situation 1517 Direction, course. Obsolete .
journey ?a1560–91 transferred . Any course taken or direction followed; spec. (in making a mine), the line along which the gallery is carried. Obsolete .
track 1565– A line of travel, passage, or motion; the actual course or route followed (which need not be any beaten or visible path, or leave any traces, as…
career 1599–1651 The course along which someone or something travels; a path, a way. Obsolete .
roadway 1600– figurative and in figurative context.
direction 1665– The particular course or line pursued by any moving body, as defined by the part or region of space, point of the compass, or other fixed or known…
by-run 1674 Running by, course, current.
sense a1679– A direction, esp. one of two opposite directions.
meith 1726– A bearing, course, direction; frequently with take . Also: a measurement taken from a mark ( rare ). Chiefly in plural (occasionally with singular …
heading 1841– Originally Nautical . The direction in which something (as a ship, aeroplane, compass, etc.) is pointing or moving, typically expressed relative to a…
lode Old English– †Way, journey, course ( obsolete ); dialect a road.
way Old English– Travel or motion along a particular route or towards a particular destination; the route or course along which someone or something chooses to…
gate a1300–1631 A going, journey, course. literal and figurative . Obsolete .
raik ?c1350– The action or an act of going or walking about; one's course or way; a journey, a way. Also figurative .
line 1426– Track, course, direction; route: e.g. line of march , line of operations .
fairway c1440 With possessive adjective: one's course or route. Obsolete .
trade c1480–1625 A path, way, or course taken by a person, ship, etc. Cf. tread , n. I.3a(a). Obsolete .
voye 1541–78 Way.
tract 1555– Course, path, way, route; with of or possessive, the course or path traversed by a person, animal, or moving object: = track , n. I.3, I.4 Now rare or…

Þat ryuer eueriche monþe chaungeþ his foordes... Whan þe water so chaungeþ his cours , it bodeþ suche happes.

Þar þe stremis held þair cours .

Purpresture may be called when..turning comon waters from the right course .

Nor let my kingdomes Riuers take their course Through my burn'd bosome.

That the said Road shall be Resurveyed and laid out according to the Courses it now runs.

On the left-hand of the road..the ancient course of the Adige..is still to be seen.

Gladly would we have followed the course of the Appian to the village Tres Tabernae .

So she glided..slowly down the course of the winding river.

He followed the course of the Rhine northwards.

The straighter the course of the highway from the centre to the outskirts of the city, the more important it is.

gang Old English–1825 The bed or course of a stream. Cf. watergang , n. 1. Obsolete ( Scottish in later use).
course a1387– The line or route along which a river flows. In later use also: the line or route of a road.
stream a1552 A course of water flowing continuously along a bed on the earth, forming a river, rivulet, or brook.
train 1570– literary . The current or course of a river, etc. Now rare .
current 1577– The course of a river or other flowing substance. Now rare .
sweep 1596 The course (of a river). Obsolete . rare .
river channel 1629– The channel through which a river flows.
currency 1657–1810 The action or fact of flowing; the flow or course of river, stream, etc. Also: a current within a river, stream, etc. Obsolete .
thread 1691– The central line of the current of a stream, esp. as a boundary line.
urn 1726– The source of a stream, river, etc.; a spring or fountain. Also, the course of a stream.
river run 1927– Usually in form riverrun . The course which a river shapes and follows through the landscape. Also figurative .

The flod which men Nil calleth Departeth fro his cours and falleth Into the See Alexandrine.

Þe same ryueres tigris and eufrates..yif þei comen to-gidre..in to o cours .

Pure water, which first glides..through a stone course or channel six foot deep and as many broad.

The subterraneous Waters..cutting out new Courses .

It cuts its way through a deep course , with extremely picturesque walls of rock.

There is a tendency for the river to form a subsidiary deep course during floods.

Near Compton..two sets of hills formed by this ridge confined the river to a more narrow course .

pipe Old English–1596 A small stream, esp. one flowing into a river. Obsolete . rare .
rune Old English–1870 A flow of water; a stream, a watercourse. English regional (chiefly south-western ) in later use. Cf. rean , n. , rhine , n.³
sichet Old English–1319 A small watercourse. Cf. siket , n.
sitch Old English–1928 A small stream, esp. one flowing through flat or marshy ground, and often dry in summer; a ditch or channel through which such a stream flows; = sike …
through Old English A pipe; a conduit or channel for water; (in extended use) a small valley shaped like a trough. Obsolete .
gutter a1300–1862 A watercourse, natural or artificial; in later use, a small brook or channel. In 14–15th centuries often used to render Latin stillicidium (shower)…
siket 1300– A small watercourse or sike.
sike c1330– A small stream of water, a rill or streamlet, esp. one flowing through flat or marshy ground, and often dry in summer; a ditch or channel through…
watergate 1368– A channel for water, esp. one which provides drainage for a coal mine. Now historical .
course a1393– A natural or artificial channel in which water flows; a watercourse.
gole ?a1400–1601 A stream, channel, ditch.
gote a1400– A watercourse; any channel for water; a stream.
aa 1430–34 A stream, a watercourse.
flout a1500–83 A watercourse.
trough 1513– A hollow or valley resembling a trough; the bed or channel of a stream, or the depressed tract through which it flows; spec. in Geology a…
gut a1552– A narrow passage. A channel or run of water, a branch of a stream; a sound, strait.
race 1570– A channel or bed (of a stream); spec. an artificial channel leading water to or from a point where its energy is utilized, as in a mill or a mining…
lode 1572– A watercourse; an aqueduct, channel; an open drain in fenny districts. Now local .
ditch 1589– Extended rhetorically to any watercourse or channel, including those of natural formation.
trink 1592– A trench, channel, watercourse (natural or artificial).
leam 1601– A drain or watercourse in fen districts.
dike 1616– Extended to any watercourse or channel, including those of natural formation. On the Humber, a navigable channel, as Goole Dike , Doncaster Dike …
runlet 1630– A little stream; a runnel. Cf. run , n.² II.24b.
stell 1651– An open ditch or brook.
nullah 1656– A watercourse, river-bed, or ravine; a drain or channel for rain- or floodwater. Cf. khor , n.
canal 1691– A man-made watercourse constructed for some purpose. (Now the most common sense.) An artificial channel dug to drain land or to convey water for…
drain 1700– Applied to a natural watercourse which drains a tract of country.
lade 1706– A noun lade , with a sense ‘channel, watercourse, mouth of a river’, has been evolved by etymologists from place-names in which the last element is…
droke 1772– W. Country dialect and Newfoundland . A furrow or groove; a ditch, a small watercourse; a (steep) narrow passageway; also, a valley.
regimen 1797– Physical Geography . = regime , n. 3a.
draught 1807– A stream course, a ravine (?). (Also draft )
adit 1808– A roughly horizontal passage introduced into a mine for the purpose of access or drainage. Also in extended use; spec. a watercourse, esp. one that…
sluit 1818– A channel, ditch, or gully, usually one formed by heavy rain and dry during the greater part of the year.
thalweg 1831– The line in the bottom of a valley in which the slopes of the two sides meet, and which forms a natural watercourse; also the line following the…
runway 1874– The bed or channel in which a stream runs. Now rare .

Thei conne noght here Schipes stiere..thei here rihte cours and weie Foryete.

Schipe-men..Castez coursez be crafte..With þe nedyll and þe stone.

All courses in Nauigation to be set and kept, by the aduice of the Captaine.

We sette owre course south and by East.

Each several Course hath two Points of the Compass, by which it is expressed..Where there is any place scituated South-east, in respect of another place, we say the Rhomb or Course that runneth betwixt them, is South-east and North-west.

When a ship sails in a north east direction, we say her course is four points, or 45 degrees.

The Hispaniola..sailed a course that would just clear the island on the east.

To steer his course in a balloon..the aeronaut must so arrange that he is travelling faster or slower than the wind.

Heavier-than-air machines..are..liable to be driven out of their course in strong winds.

Its [ sc. the direction finder's] operation was entirely satisfactory, indications right and left of ‘ course ’ being very steady and definite.

The ships..set their course more southerly than in the previous year in order to reach warmer latitudes.

ship ren 1297 A ship's course.
course a1393– Nautical and Aeronautics . The direction, esp. in regard to the points of the compass, towards which a ship, aircraft, etc., is steered or navigated.
route ?1568–94 The direction in which a ship sails. Obsolete .
voyage 1581–1755 The navigation of a particular sea-route; the course or route (to be) taken by a ship. Obsolete .
caping 1595
wake c1595– A course, or general line of direction, that a ship has taken, or is to take.
run 1688– Nautical . More generally: the course or direction taken by a ship; a ship's onward movement in a particular path.
course 1905– Nautical and Aeronautics . The direction, esp. in regard to the points of the compass, towards which a ship, aircraft, etc., is steered or navigated.
flight path 1911– (See quot. 1919); the planned course of an aircraft or space vehicle from point to point; also transferred .
heading 1917– Originally Nautical . The direction in which something (as a ship, aeroplane, compass, etc.) is pointing or moving, typically expressed relative to a…
track 1919– Aeronautics . The projection on the earth's surface of the (actual or intended) course of an aircraft; the representation of this on a chart.
vector 1941– Aeronautics . A course to be taken by an aircraft, or steered by a pilot.

Antoninus..set his course against our State and Common-wealth, not (as they say) with spret nor oare, with shooving, or haling,..but even with spred and full sayle.

Is thy Word a Compass, to direct my course to Glory.

Thro' the tossing tide of chance and pain To hold his course unfaltering.

It is almost a matter of necessity, that the churchwardens should be at liberty to obtain the assistance occasionally of legal advice, in order that they may safely steer their course through the many difficulties in the making out of a church rate.

It is our mutual task now to utilize the experience of the past in order to chart a course for the future.

But the man and the dog were helpless and entirely dependent upon her ability to navigate a course through the murky waters of the DSS.

Many conservative church leaders have announced that they'll..hold their own summit, starting today in Jerusalem, to plot a future course for the conservative branch of the Church.

The US..has to accept that it does not own the world and that there will be other powers determined to chart their own course .

The rocks..hold their course in ascent to the south south east and descent pendently more than diagonally into the depth.

Mountains are said to have their course in that direction of their length in which they descend, and grow lower.

In Nent head and Dowgang mines its [ sc. Black-Esk-gill vein's] course is north and south.

The Gardner lode is nearly parallel to the Illinois..Its course is north 85° east, true.

Its course is east-northeast, and its dip is to the northwest.

course 1603– The direction towards which a mountain range, vein of ore, etc., extends.
run 1671– The way or direction in which something lies; the lie or line of something.
lie 1697– Manner of lying; direction or position in which something lies; direction and amount of slope or inclination. Also figurative the state…
line of bearing 1717– The direction in which something lies, extends, or moves relative to a fixed point or line; ( Navy ) the direction in which a linear formation of…
trend 1777– The way something trends or bends away; the general direction which a stream or current, a coast, mountain-range, valley, stratum, etc. tends to take.
lay 1819– The way, position, or direction in which something is laid or lies ( esp. said of country); disposition or arrangement with respect to something. (Cf…
orientation 1875– The relative position or direction of something; the bearing or lie of a thing.

Lay her a hold, a hold, set her two courses off to Sea againe, lay her off.

That night [he] lay six courss of.

Lay her two courses to the wind.

point c1503– Each of the principal directions marked at equidistant intervals on the circumference of a compass (usually 32 in number); the angular interval…
courses a1616–1891 In plural . Points of the compass. Obsolete .

Þere we syȝyn þyngys passynge þe cours of kynde [ a 1425 L.V. aȝens kynde] .

Heo dude after þe cours of kynde , And fleiȝ in-to a treo anon.

August passid, ageyn vnto the roote; Be cours of nature the vertu doth resorte Be reuolucioun to Kynde.

There is nomore than one in all y e cours of nature .

A certayn sterre apperyng in the heuen, aboue the course of nature .

A miracle..being out of the common course of nature , beyond or above it, doth cause admiration.

Touching the production of Animals,..they are in the ordinary course of Nature of two kinds.

I Have such Dread when I should die, Not knowing where, nor in what place. Through course of kind he comes to me.

The whole Course of Nature is a present Instance of his exercising That Government over us.

He cannot be supposed to live much longer, according to the course of nature .

To suppose that there was any Cataclasm, any violent disruption of what is the usual course of nature .

When the more intelligent of them saw that magic does not really achieve the ends aimed at they substituted for it a belief in man-like beings who direct the course of nature .

The Puritan lives, so ham-handedly opposed to the course of nature and the spirits within it, were viewed as threats.

Whan þat ffortune list to flee Ther may no man the cours of hire withholde.

What man comyth nouȝt at dew tyme..to Rydynge aȝeins the Kyng..as comun cours is at Cristemas [etc.] .

As ye cours askis off ȝowtheid.

The same to be ordred..aftur the course of the same Eschequer.

Of all þe craftes to ken as þere course askit.

It can not flowe at one houre so high..as the common course thereof is accustomed to doe.

Complaining of Julius Cæsar's Violation of that course of Law whereby the State was polliced.

The law must take its course .

Here in ordinary course they held a monthly Court for the Centenary.

Never again to imprison any person, except in due course of law.

When the letter..would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.

The course of the common law started with a statement of the nature of the claim which was largely common form.

My little gang and I are definitely not big drinkers in the usual course of things.

course c1405– The routine or established procedure; the usual way or custom.
vulgarness 1598–1648 The quality of being ordinary or commonplace; (also) generality. Obsolete .
publicness 1605– The quality, condition, or fact of being public; †the condition of being commonly accepted, prevalence; †fame, notoriety; †devotion to the public…
rifeness 1608 The state or condition of being rife.
vulgarity a1613–59 Generality of use or distribution; prevalence. Obsolete .
prepotency 1623– The quality of being prepotent; superior power or influence; predominance, prevalence.
prevalency 1648– As a count noun: an instance of being prevalent, or of frequent or general occurrence or acceptance; (also) a prevalent phenomenon, quality, or…
prevalency 1651– The quality or condition of being prevalent; = prevalence , n. 3.
prevalence 1682– The condition of being widespread in a particular area or at a particular time; general occurrence, existence, practice, or acceptance…
prevailance 1795– Extensive or common occurrence, pervasiveness; = prevalence , n. 3.
prevalent 1867– Something pervasive, widespread, or common; a predominant feature or phenomenon. Also, in later use: ( Ecology ) a prevalent species. Cf. prevalency , n. …
highway 1550– figurative . The usual or most direct course of action, thought, speech, etc.
way 1556– The customary or accepted manner of acting or behaving; the typical manner in which things happen or are done. Cf. the way of the world at phrases…
the common (also general, usual) road 1607–1878 the common (also general, usual) road : the usual, ordinary, or expected course or type of something. Chiefly with out of . Cf. run , n.² III.iv.45a. Obs …
the beaten track 1638– figurative . A course of action or conduct; a method of proceeding; ‘way’, ‘path’. the beaten track , the ordinary ( quasi well-worn) way.
run 1688– The average, ordinary, or usual type or class; the bulk, the generality; the majority of people or things. Frequently with modifying adjective, as ge …

I haue stryuyn a good stryf, I haue endid the cours [Latin cursum ] , I haue kept the feith.

Ye han for sothe ydoon a greet bataille Youre cours is doon, youre feith han ye conserued.

Ay the cours of thys mortal lyff Euerych hovr doth to hys boundys drawe.

Where he made an end of his course , and slept with his fathers.

They that enter the World with original Diseases..make commonly short Courses .

Some pursuits..can only engage us in the beginning of our course .

How much, in its..melancholy close, does it [ sc. the life of Walter Scott] resemble the course of Napoleon.

He was stricken down by a malignant form of African fever, and ended his course .

day Old English– With possessive. The period of a person's life or existence; lifetime. Also in extended use. In later use only in plural . Cf. time , n. A.I.i.3a, year …
life Old English– The series of actions and occurrences constituting the history of an individual (esp. a human being) from birth to death. In generalized sense…
life-day Old English– A day or some period of a person's life; (chiefly in plural ) a person's life or lifetime, ‘(all) the days of (one's) life’.
life's time Old English–1676 = lifetime , n.
livelihood Old English–1669 The course of a person's life, lifetime; kind or manner of life; conduct. Obsolete .
time Old English– Usually with possessive. The period during which a person or thing lives, occupies a particular position, is active in a particular sphere…
year Old English– With possessive: the period during which a person or thing lives or exists; lifetime, lifespan. In later use only in plural .
year-days Old English In plural . A person's life or lifetime. Cf. year , n. II.11a. Obsolete .
lifetime a1300– The duration of a person's (animal's, etc.) life; the period of time over which a person's life extends. Frequently in adverbial phrase in (during, …
life-while a1300–1849 A lifetime; one's lifetime.
for (also to) term of (a person's) life a1325– Chiefly Law . for (also †to) term of (a person's) life : as long as the person in question lives; until the person's death. Now historical .
course c1384–1904 figurative . A person's life viewed as a race that is run; a person's journey or passage through life. Obsolete .
living c1390–1654 Duration of life; one's lifetime. Obsolete .
voyage 1390– Used figuratively (in senses 1 or 4) to denote the course of human life (or some part of it), or the fate of persons after death.
age a1398– The whole lifespan or period of existence of any person, animal, or thing; the ordinary or expected duration of life. Now rare .
life's day c1425–1533 = life-day , n. ; cf. day , n. phrases P.1c.
thread 1447– figurative . Something figured as being spun or continuously drawn out like a thread. The continued course of life, represented in classical mythology…
race a1450–1850 figurative or in figurative context: a person's progress through life or some part of it. Obsolete .
living days c1450– The days of one's life.
natural life 1461– The duration of a person's life. Chiefly with possessive adjective.
lifeness 1534 Lifetime.
twist 1568–1638 figurative . The continuation or course of life figured as a thread; cf. thread , n. II.6a. Obsolete .
lease c1595– figurative with reference to the permanence of occupation guaranteed by a lease; esp. in a (new) lease of life . Also, the term during which…
span 1599– A short space of time, esp. as the duration of human life; the (short) time during which a person lives.
clew 1615– Used in reference to the thread of life, which the Fates are represented as spinning.
march a1625–1872 Forward movement, succession, advance; course or direction of advance. (Sometimes with allusion to sense… Of the course of life of a person or group…
peregrination 1653 Originally and chiefly Theology . The course of a person's life viewed originally as a temporary sojourn on earth (cf. sense 4b) and hence as a…
clue 1684– Any figurative ‘thread’. The thread of life which the Fates are fabled to spin and determine.
stamen 1701–53 The thread spun by the Fates at a person's birth, on the length of which the duration of his or her life was suppose to depend. Hence, in popular…
life term 1739– a. Chiefly poetic the duration of a person's (or animal's, etc.) life, a lifetime (now rare ); b. = life sentence , n. 1.
innings 1772– figurative . A period of power, favour, or ascendancy; an opportunity; a turn. In later use often in to have a good innings and variants: to have a…
lifelong 1814–56 The duration of one's life; a lifetime.
pass-through 1876– English regional . A person's passage through life.
inning 1885– figurative . A period of power, favour, or ascendancy; an opportunity; a turn; = innings , n. 3. Chiefly U.S.
natural 1891– colloquial (originally English regional ( southern )). = natural life , n. ; now usually in in all my natural , for the rest of my natural .
life cycle 1915– The course of human existence from birth, through childhood and maturity, to old age and death; spec. one that is characteristic of a particular…
life cycle 1938– In extended use: a course or evolution from a beginning, through development and productivity, to decay or ending. (Frequently in economic or…
puff 1967– colloquial (originally and chiefly British ). Life; span or length of life; esp. in in (all) one's (born) puff : in a person's experience, in all a…

Touchynge the cours of the worlde [Latin mundi cursum ] ..þe firste kyngdom was vnder oure fore fadres from Adam to Moyses.

‘ Cours [1460 Laud MS. Cource] of þis world’ men shul hit calle.

It is conuenyent that the tyme haue his cours .

The whole course of the Civill Warres.

I return from it to the course of the history.

Numbers [of sheep] often die, during the course of winter and spring, of what are here called the rott, pock, and scab.

The course of events which brought about this rapid fall.

Ordinarily, hemorrhages do not appear until late in the course of the disease, or just before death.

We had some understanding of what this [ sc. nuclear fission] might do for us in the war, and how much it might change the course of history.

Both sides filed..summaries of what they thought had been proved during the course of the trial.

Over the course of the year, the falleros , members of an ancient guild of Valencian artisans, construct hundreds of these extraordinary sculptures.

process 1357– The passing or lapsing of time, years, seasons, etc. Chiefly in in (also †by) (the) process of time : in the course of time, as time goes on…
course a1387– The continuous process (of time), succession (of events); progress onward or through successive stages, esp. over time. Frequently in over (also d …
concourse c1400–1657 Course, process (of time). Obsolete .
succession c1485–1655 The course, lapse, or process of time . Obsolete .
passing-by 1523– The action of going or travelling by; the passage of time. Cf. pass-by , n. 1.
by-passing 1526–1621 The action of going past: said both of the movements of a person and of the lapse of time.
slack a1533 The passing or spending of time. Obsolete .
continuance a1552 Duration or lapse of time, course of time ( obsolete ); period, length of time ( obsolete or archaic ). in continuance : in course of time.
race 1565– The progress of time.
current 1583– The direction, course, or progress of something, esp. something viewed as unfolding or developing over time, such as events, history, a…
prolapse 1585 Passage (of time). Obsolete . rare .
decurse 1593–1657 Downward course, lapse.
passage 1596– figurative . The passing of time or a period of time.
drifting 1610 Putting off; lapse (of time). Obsolete .
flux 1612– The passing away (of life, time or a portion of time). Also, a passing period. Obsolete .
effluxion 1621– The lapse or passing away (of time); the expiry or completion (of a certain period).
transcursion 1622 Passage, lapse (of time).
decursion 1629–80 The action of running, flowing, or passing downwards; also figurative of time, etc.
devolution 1629– figurative . The rolling or passing on of time; descent or passing on through a series of revolutions or stages, in time, order, etc.
progression 1646 Continuous action conceived or presented as onward movement through time; progress or advancement through a period, process, sequence of events…
efflux 1647– The lapse, passing away (of time, or of a particular period); hence, expiry, end.
preterition 1647 The passing of time. Obsolete . rare .
processus 1648– = process , n. (in various senses).
currency 1651– The action or state of proceeding or progressing; the course ( of time, events, etc.); the time during which something is in use or operation.
decurrence 1659–77 The act or state of running down; downward flow or course; lapse (of time). Obsolete .
progress 1664 Progression or advancement through a process, a sequence of events, a period of time, etc.; movement towards an outcome or conclusion. in progress …
fluxation 1710 Flowing or passing on.
elapsing 1720–
lapse 1758– Of life, time, etc.: The gliding or passing away, passage; a period or interval elapsed.
elapse 1793– Expiration, lapse, passing away (of time).
time-lapse 1864– An interval of time, esp. between two events; the passage of time; spec. an interval of time in the narrative of a play or film that is not…
wearing 1876– Passing, elapsing (of a period of time). rare .
tenor 1398– Continuous progress, course, movement ( of action, etc.); way of proceeding, procedure.
passage 1579 figurative . A transition from one state or condition to another, spec. through death; a transition or progress through a period, stage, etc.; a…
race c1590 The course or progress of events, or of a narrative. Obsolete .
profluence a1639– figurative . The onward flow or course of a narrative, series of events, etc.; progression.
runlong 1674 The course or passage of something.
development 1756– Growth or maturation into a form which is more advanced, more elaborate, etc.; gradual change or progression by successive stages. Also: an…
fore-march 1822– A march forward, in quot. figurative .
upbuilding 1876–
motion c1425– The process or course of life, time, fate, etc. Also in plural .
discourse 1541–1632 More generally: the onward course of something in space or time; succession or sequence of time, events, actions, etc. Cf. course , n.¹ A.III.16. Obs …
discurse ?1549–55 Onward movement in any process or course of action; progress, advancement. Cf. discourse , n. 2b.
running 1662 A succession of actions or occurrences. Obsolete . rare .

The whole course of his [ sc. Noah's] life was 950 years.

The Course of its Life is sixteen Hours.

The course of its life is, at the most, on an average of the best lives, sixty years.

length a1240– Extent from beginning to end, e.g. of a period of time, a series or enumeration, a word, a speech or composition. †in length of time : in course of…
date ?1316– The time during which something lasts; period, season; duration; term of life or existence. Now rare ( poetic in later use).
duration c1384– Lasting, continuance in time; the continuance or length of time; the time during which a thing, action, or state continues.
hautesse 1399–1667 Highness, height; loftiness of rank or character, nobility; haughtiness, pride; grandeur, stateliness; length (of time).
quantity ?a1425– Length in time, duration. Now chiefly in Law : the length of time during which the right of enjoyment of an estate is to continue (esp. in quantity …
period c1475–1785 The time during which something runs its course, duration; allotted time; natural lifespan. Obsolete .
tract a1513–1734 The drawing out, duration, continuance, process, passing, or lapse of time ; the course of time . Cf. Latin tractus temporum , French trait de temps .
allowance 1526– A fixed portion of food or some other provision granted to a person or animal; a ration. Also in extended use.
continuance 1530– The going on (of an action or process), the duration or lasting (of a condition or state). The most usual current sense.
wideness 1535–1699 More generally: size or amount; extent of time. Obsolete .
continue 1556 Continued course, continuance in time.
protense 1590 Apparently: = protension , n.
countenance 1592– Used for continuance .
stay 1595–1700 Continuance in a state, duration. Obsolete .
standing 1600–90 The continuance in time or existence of something; the lasting or enduring of something. Obsolete .
dimension 1605–76 transferred . Extension in time, duration.
longanimity 1607–13 Long passage (of time); long continuance, longevity. Cf. longinquity , n. 2. Obsolete . rare .
longinquity 1607–1859 Distance or remoteness in time; long passage of time. Also: long continuance or duration. Obsolete .
insisture 1609 A word of obscure use in Shakespeare: taken variously in the sense of ‘persistency, constancy’ (Schmidt), ‘regularity, or perhaps station’ (Nares)…
existence 1615– gen. Continued being; continuance in being. Also: an instance of this.
unprivation a1628 Continuance of existence.
continuity 1646– The state or quality of being continuous in time; uninterrupted duration. rare .
protension 1654– Extension in time; duration.
measure 1658–1706 Magnitude or quantity as ascertained by measuring. Duration (of time or a musical note). Obsolete .
course 1665–1880 Of a life, lifespan: duration or length in time. Obsolete .
contention 1666– Apparently = Continuance; cf. contene , contain , v. II.17.
propagation 1741 Extension or increase in size, numbers, or length of time; enlargement; prolongation; an instance of this. Obsolete .
protensity 1886– The quality of taking up time; the fact of having duration.

For now is halden non in curs [ a 1400 Göttingen MS. cours] Bot qua þat luue can paramurs.

Ye knaw not the comon cowrs that longys to a kyng.

Now what counsayl, what course may rightlye be taken?

I wish yow to hold such a cource as may best fitt your honor and your humor together.

If you will follow this course , you shall..reape therby many commodities.

The Maior..shall disburse moneys and take course to see the same fenced.

If there be not a speedy course taken to remove some Encroachments.

To persevere with Steadiness in this Course , is often more than half the Cure.

A great man applied personally to his Majesty, begging that he would please to ‘take a course to stop these run-about Preachers’.

I think our wisest course will be to join the cry.

He had made up his mind to a certain course of action.

It seems to me that the best course is the one that leaves my mind freest.

His wiser self will recognise the grave risks he will be taking if he pursues so ruthless a course .

Self-restraint means being able to resist that emotional urge, giving you time to evaluate the circumstances you're in and decide the wisest course of action.

bere Old English–1470 An action, a gesture; behaviour, conduct; demeanour. to take one's bere : to conduct oneself, behave (in a specified way). Cf. bearing , n.¹ II.4a.
path Old English– A course of action; a way of proceeding; a mode of behaviour or conduct; esp. a way of life leading to a spiritual goal. Also: a sequence of events…
sithe Old English–1325 A person's conduct, behaviour, or way of life.
way a1225– A course of action; (sometimes) spec. one proposed or taken as an approach to a particular problem or with a particular objective in mind. Also in t …
trace a1300–1715 figurative . A course of action or conduct; way of proceeding; ‘path’, ‘way’, ‘road’; esp. in phrases to follow, take, tread the trace . Obsolete .
line c1330– Course of action, procedure, life, thought, or conduct.
dance a1352–1733 figurative . Course of action; mode of procedure, play, game. to know the old dance : cf. French ‘ elle sçait assez de la vieille danse , she knowes…
course a1400– A line of (personal) action, way of acting, method of proceeding; an approach or a strategy adopted to deal with a situation. Frequently in course …
feat c1420–1734 In neutral sense: An action, deed, course of conduct; = fact , n. A.I.1. Also feats and deeds . to do, perform or work the feat : to ‘do the deed’. to w …
faction 1447–1883 Cf. fashion , n. 1. A way of acting or behaving; an action, proceeding, course of conduct; doings, proceedings. Obsolete .
rink ?a1500–1871 Scottish . The course or way on which a person is going. Esp. in to run one's rink . Obsolete (in later use archaic and poetic ).
footpath 1535– figurative and in figurative contexts.
trade 1536–1658 figurative and in figurative contexts. Cf. tread , n. I.3a. Obsolete .
vein 1549–1855 A type of activity or behaviour; a practice, a habit. Obsolete .
tract 1575– figurative . Course (of action, etc.); manner of proceeding, way, path: = track , n. I.5 rare or Obsolete .
road 1600– figurative . A (notional) way or course, esp. to some end.
country dance 1613–1852 figurative . Obsolete .
track 1638– figurative . A course of action or conduct; a method of proceeding; ‘way’, ‘path’. the beaten track , the ordinary ( quasi well-worn) way.
steerage a1641– A course held or steered, esp. a course of conduct.
rhumb 1666–1772 figurative . A course of action. Obsolete .
tack 1675– figurative . A course or line of conduct or action; implying change or difference from some preceding or other course.
conduct 1706– (With a ) A piece of behaviour, a proceeding ( obsolete ); a course of conduct ( rare ).
course of conduct 1725– course of conduct : a line of (personal) action, way of acting, mode of behaviour; (in later use) spec. ( Law ) a pattern of conduct composed of two or…
walk 1755–86 In non-religious contexts: a course of conduct. Obsolete .
wheel-way 1829– A way, road, or track along which wheeled vehicles run; also figurative (cf. rut , n.² 1c).

I might intreat your rare wits to be imploied in more profitable courses .

With conceit of his vile courses .

I knew his courses as much..as any man beside.

They have dissuaded them from their evil courses .

Baser courses , children of despair.

But in his old age he has mended his courses .

No goddess incited Kyknos to evil courses in the extant sources.

tight Old English–1330 Bringing up, rearing, training, education; (good) breeding; behaviour.
work Old English–1609 Acts or deeds collectively; action; conduct. Frequently in collocation with word ; cf. actions speak louder than words at action , n. phrases P.4…
laits c1225– In plural . Looks, manners, behaviour; esp. unruly behaviour or actions, goings-on. Scottish in later use.
rule ?c1225–1616 Conduct, behaviour; manner of acting. Obsolete .
guise 1303–1813 Manner of carrying oneself; behaviour, carriage, conduct, course of life. Obsolete .
conditions c1374–1830 plural . Personal qualities; manners, morals, ways; behaviour, temper. Obsolete .
action a1393– Something done or performed, a deed, an act; (in plural ) habitual or ordinary deeds, conduct.
governance a1393–1845 Conduct of life or business; mode of living, behaviour, demeanour. Also: (in plural ) proceedings, doings. Obsolete .
governail c1425–1598 Conduct, behaviour. Also: good conduct; self-control, discretion. Cf. government , n. I.3a.
port ?a1439–1588 Behaviour or conduct. Obsolete .
fashion 1447– Mode of action, bearing, behaviour, demeanour, ‘air’. Now rare .
dress a1450–1600 Activity, conduct, behaviour. Obsolete (in later use Scottish ).
governing a1450–1568 Chiefly Scottish . Mode of action or behaviour; conduct. Obsolete .
walking c1450– figurative . Manner of conducting or behaving oneself. †Also as a count noun ( obsolete ). Cf. walk , v. III.7a.
abearing ?1454– = abearance , n.
deport 1474–1740 Behaviour, bearing, deportment.
behaving 1482– Conduct, behaviour.
dealing 1484– Acting (in some specified way) towards others; way of acting, conduct, behaviour.
guiding a1500–72 The conducting or ruling of oneself, behaviour, conduct; plural doings, ‘goings-on’. Chiefly Scottish . Obsolete .
demeanour a1513– Conduct, way of acting, mode of proceeding (in an affair); conduct of life, manner of living; practice, behaviour. Formerly often with a and plural .
behaviour ?1521– Conduct, general practice, course of life; course of action towards or to others, treatment of others.
walk ?1567– In religious language (cf. walk , v. III.7a): (in early use as a mass noun) manner of behaviour, conduct of life; (later also) a particular choice or…
daps 1582– plural . Ways, modes of action; hence in dialect likeness, image (in ways and appearance).
courses 1592– plural . Ways of action, proceedings; personal conduct or behaviour, esp. of a reprehensible kind. Now archaic .
deportment 1601– Manner of conducting oneself; conduct ( of life); behaviour. Obsolete or archaic in general sense.
behave ?1615 = behaviour , n.
deportation 1616– Deportment. pseudo-archaism .
containment 1619– The action or fact of containing; holding; restraint; †deportment, behaviour; contenement , n. Also attributive .
conduct 1673– Manner of conducting oneself or one's life; behaviour; usually with more or less reference to its moral quality (good or bad). (Now the leading…
haviour 1752 The action of having or bearing oneself; deportment, bearing, behaviour, manner. Also plural manners. archaic or dialect .
daddyism 1984– Behaviour or attitudes characteristic of a father or fathers; an action or utterance typical of a father or fathers.
working Old English– Actions or deeds collectively. Now archaic and chiefly in religious contexts. In singular . Now rare .
craft c1275–1540 More generally: action, activity; (in plural ) deeds, doings. Chiefly in poetic use. Obsolete .
doings a1387– In plural . Deeds, actions, activities; transactions, proceedings. Also occasionally (now rare ) in singular .
practic a1475– A practical activity, (in early use) esp. one of the actions or activities which go to make up the practice of a craft or profession; (more…
gear c1475– figurative . = matter , n.¹ , stuff , n.¹ , in various uses. Doings, ‘goings on’. archaic or dialect .
proceeding 1524– As a count noun. A particular action or course of action; a piece of conduct or behaviour. Chiefly in plural : doings, actions; (more generally)…
practice 1547–1734 An action, a deed; an undertaking, a proceeding. Usually in plural . Obsolete .
activity 1570– Something which a person, animal, or group chooses to do; an occupation, a pursuit. Frequently in plural .
acting 1596– The performance of deeds, continued action, behaviour; (in plural ) actions, conduct.
motion 1667–1896 An action or movement on the part of a person or body of people. In plural (formerly also in singular ). Activities or movements on the part of a…
ongoings 1673– In plural . Originally and chiefly Scottish . Goings-on; noteworthy actions, proceedings, or doings.
energies 1747–1861 In plural . The collective activities or actions of a person, group, or other entity, esp. with reference to a particular context or purpose. Obsolete .
deed 1788– collective . Doings; ado, to-do. dialect .
movement 1803– A change of physical location. A journey, outing, commission, or other significant activity undertaken by a person or group of people. Usually in p …

Walking in Christ..implies our Perseverance in this Course of Conduct or Behaviour to the End of Life.

Every one..is able to presume and infer the motives by which an agent was actuated, from the particular course of conduct which he adopted.

The King of Great Britain and the King of the French, are pursuing exactly opposite courses of conduct towards Spain.

As laid down in Wilkinson v. Wilkinson..desertion is a continuing course of conduct .

Certainly her course of conduct while in her last employment was such as to raise a plain inference that she had an argumentative nature.

The evidence produced at trial sufficiently demonstrated that the defendants' conduct was part of a course of conduct ..intended to cause her distress and to obtain custody of her children.

Cowrs of ordyr, or rewe, series .

Þe yere fro þe incarnacion of our lorde, aftur þe cowrse & cowntinge of Inglonde, Millesimo CCCo lvj.

The yere of oure Lord God, after the course and rekenynge of the Churche of Englond, a thousand, fyue hundreth, fyftie and seuen.

Inuersion of wordes, besides their common course , as when we say:..faults no man liueth without, when order requireth we should say: No man liueth without faults.

For the Choice of these Lessons..holy Church observes a several course .

order a1382– Arrangement of things in which one thing, or each of a number of things, follows another; sequence or succession in space or time; succession of acts…
process a1387–1475 Succession of things in order; sequence; progression. Obsolete .
course 1440–1622 Customary or appointed sequence. Obsolete .
sequence 1592– Order of succession.
series 1594– The fact of forming a sequence or succession; the order in which things are placed within such a sequence or succession; sequence. Now rare …

I haue moste earnestlie mynded the glorie of God, and the settyng forth of his holy name, throughout the whole course of this my rude and symple booke.

The nature and whole course of a matter, beying largely set out.

Al the circumstances of the texte, and course of Scripture dothe importe the contrary.

Pythagoras now being (as the course of the Epistle offerreth me to thinke) in Italie.

I send you a copy because I believe it to be in course much the same with what you mentioned to have been received.

sentence ?c1225–1561 The thought or meaning expressed, as distinguished from the wording; the sense, substance, or gist (of a passage, a book, etc.). Obsolete .
intent 1303–1676 Meaning; import; purport. Obsolete .
tenor a1387– The course of meaning which holds on or continues through something written or spoken; the general sense or meaning of a document, speech, etc…
intendment 1390– Meaning conveyed or intended; signification; import. Now rare or Obsolete .
strength c1390–1693 The tenor or import of a text, speech, etc. Obsolete .
port a1393–1876 figurative . Import, meaning; character or quality (of a matter). Obsolete ( archaic in later use).
meaning c1395– The sense or signification of a word, sentence, etc. With possessive: that which a speaker or writer intends to express, imply, or insinuate; the…
process 1395–1775 The course or content of a narrative, treatise, argument, etc.; drift, tenor, gist. Obsolete .
continence a1398 Tenor, contents; content, capacity.
purpose c1400– Meaning, effect, import, esp. of words; = purport , n. 1. Chiefly in to this (also that, the same, etc.) purpose . Cf. cross-purpose , n. 1. Now rare .
substance 1415– That which is embodied in a statement; the meaning or purport of what is expressed in writing or speech; the gist or essential meaning of an account…
purport 1422– That which is conveyed or expressed, esp. by a formal document or speech; effect, tenor, import; meaning, substance, sense.
matter c1450 The substance of a book, speech, etc.; the contents of a composition in respect of the facts or ideas expressed, as distinct from the form of…
story c1450–75 The meaning or purport of a person's words. Obsolete .
containing 1477–1616 That which is contained; contents, tenor.
contenu 1477–1550 = content , n.¹ I.2, I.3.
retinue 1484 Tenor, import; substance. Obsolete . rare .
feck a1500–1600 The purport, drift, tenor, or substance (of a statement, intention, etc.); = effect , n. 3b. Sometimes in collocation with form . Obsolete .
content 1513–1667 The sum or substance of what is contained in a document; tenor, purport. In this sense, used both in singular and plural , and also in plural …
drift 1526– Meaning, purport, tenor, scope (of a speech or writing). Now the usual sense.
intention 1532–1668 The way in which anything is to be understood; meaning, significance, import. Obsolete or blending with I.5.
vein 1543–1790 The general character or tenor of something. Obsolete .
importing 1548–87 That which is signified by a word or phrase; meaning, signification, import. Obsolete . rare .
scope 1549– The object which a writer or speaker has in view, that which he or she wishes to express or enforce; the main purpose, intention, or drift of a…
course 1551–1723 The overarching purpose or intention of a narrative, document, etc.; the primary message or argument. Obsolete .
importance 1552–1796 Meaning, significance; = import , n. I.2. Obsolete .
force 1555– The real import or significance (of a document, statement, or the like); the precise meaning or ‘value’ (of a word, sentence, etc.) as affecting its…
sense ?1556–1748 An idea or connected series of ideas considered to be independent of the language in which it is expressed, and able to be expressed in a different…
file 1560–1647 The thread, course, or tenor (of a story, argument, etc.). Obsolete .
intelliment ?1562 = intendment , n. 3.
proport a1578–1686 = purport , n.
preport 1583 = purport , n.
import 1588– That which is implied or signified, esp. by a document, phrase, word, etc.; purport, significance, meaning.
importment 1602–60 Meaning, purport; = import , n. I.2.
carriage 1604–19 figurative . The meaning, substance, or import of a passage, speech, text, etc. Obsolete .
moral a1616–1841 Import, meaning, significance. Obsolete . rare .
significancy 1641– Meaning, import. Also: a particular meaning. Frequently with of . Cf. significance , n. 1a.
amount 1678–1881 The full value, effect, significance, or importance of something. Obsolete .
purview 1688– In extended use: the scope or limits of anything (as a document, inquiry, scheme, subject, occupation, etc.); remit; intent.
sentiment 1713– esp. An emotional thought expressed in literature or art; the feeling or meaning intended to be conveyed by a passage, as distinguished from the…
capacity 1720 Relation, tenor, sense (of words). Obsolete .
spirit 1742– Chiefly with the . The general intent or true meaning underlying a law, statement, etc., as opposed to its strict literal interpretation.
message 1828– The broad meaning of something; an expressed or implied central theme or significant point, esp. one with political, social, or moral importance…
thrust 1968– The principal theme or gist ( of remarks, an argument, etc.); a point, aim, or purpose. Originally and chiefly U.S.
messaging 1977– The ideas or messages conveyed explicitly or implicitly in order to make a point or persuade an audience, esp. as part of a targeted commercial or…

It nedeth nat to deuyse At euery cours the ordre of hir seruyse.

Fro kechene come the fyrste cours , With pypes, and trumpes, and tabours.

Bring vs some oliues for the third course .

I'll tell you the story between the courses .

Make use of this Cullis with all sorts of Fish Courses .

What's here? For the first course ; for the second course ; for the desert.

Like one returning thanks after a dinner of many courses .

It was a five-course meal with a variety of dishes.

All she has to do is to telephone to Mary's Meals on Wheels,..and a hot three or four-course dinner will be waiting on her doorstep whenever she wants it.

Stuffed tomatoes ... Serve as a first course or a main dish, accompanied by plain rice.

If you choose a four-to-five-year-old Spanish rioja or an Italian wine such as chianti..it'll go much better with the cheese course .

Three courses , good wine and not a pork bone or pot of puha in sight.

Diana came in to rummage for food, which prompted my grandmother to jump up and start preparing her a three-course meal.

sand Old English–1440 A serving of food; a course, mess.
mess c1300– A serving of food; a course; a meal; a prepared dish of a specified kind of food. Also figurative . Now historical and English regional (except as…
course c1405– A dish, or a set of dishes served together, forming one of the successive parts of a meal. Frequently with modifier indicating the type of food…
service c1450– That part or division of a meal which is served up at any one time; a course. Formerly also: †a particular dish or kind of food (as something…

Yay wylle yat ye prayer bell be ronghen at sex atte clok..wekely by a brodyr or syster of ye same Maisendew, as yair course comys about.

Of hem þat haue fulfilled her cours in wacchis and oþer laboures.

Cours of order, tovr .

Euery company, as their course came, saluted the kyng.

Where men by courses be borne to dye.

After the death of some noble Gentleman, my course came next, though not to die, yet to goe neere the Graue.

Trouble and peace..comfort and discontent come all of them by courses .

Cesar likewise celebrated Games..and it was order'd they shou'd be renew'd every fifth Year, four Colleges of Priests, taking care of 'em; namely, the Pontifices, Augurs, Septemviri, and Quindecemviri by Courses .

chare Old English–1320 The return or coming round again of a time; hence gen. turn, occasion, time. Obsolete .
lot c1175– A person's turn or time to do something (originally, as determined by lot); (also) an allotted task. Chiefly with possessive. Now rare .
throw c1275–1500 A turn.
tour c1320– One's turn or order (to do something). Also, a spell of work or duty; a shift: see turn , n. ; frequently in tour of duty . Now mainly Military and in Oi …
course 1416–1695 The time for anything which comes round to each person in succession; a person's turn. Cf. phrases P.3a.ii. Obsolete .
wheel 1422 = turn , n. I.ii.8. Obsolete . rare .
turn c1425– An opportunity or obligation to do something or to have something done, that comes successively to each of several persons or things. Almost always…
tourney 1523 One's turn in order or rotation. Obsolete . rare .
vice 1637–1793 Turn (of sequence or alternation). Obsolete .
rubber a1643–1706 In extended use. An additional turn or spell at something; (more generally) any spell, round, or turn. Obsolete .
rote 1831 Rotation; turn. rare .
whet 1849– An act of sharpening; transferred the interval between two sharpenings of a scythe, etc.; also figurative an occasion, turn, ‘go’. Now dialect .
journey 1884– A round or turn of work, such as is done at one time, in a day or a shorter space. slang . A turn of work; a ‘turn’; a time or occasion.

Officers waytinge vpon the kynge, to go of & on after their course euery moneth one..Euery course had foure & twentye thousande.

Also for the courses of the Priests and the Leuites.

A certaine Priest, named Zacharias, of the course of Abia.

We have the courses of Israel for the first Example of Rotation in a Popular Assembly.

The priests themselves, who inherited the position, were divided into twenty-four courses .

council c1384– In translations of the New Testament and related contexts: applied to the Sanhedrin, the highest legislative and judicial body of ancient Israel, or…
course 1535– Each of two or more groups of people who take turns performing an official duty or task. rare after 17th century.
sanhedrin 1588– ‘The name applied to the highest court of justice and supreme council at Jerusalem, and in a wider sense also to lower courts of justice’ (W…
Beth Din 1795– A Jewish court composed of the Chief Rabbi and two or more assistants, responsible for matters of Jewish ecclesiastical law and the settlement of…

Rob't. schall make a brigg' of stane oure ye water of Swalle atte Catrik..wt v Corsees of Egeoves lik And acordande to ye same Thiknes of Egeoves as Barnacastelle brigg' is of.

Þis wal had but to cors of arches, for þe curyng of þe uoutes wer so disposed þat þe roof was hy with oute and descended lower with inne.

That certain Courses or Ledges of more strength then the rest, be interlayed like Bones.

The breadth that the thatcher taketh up with him all att [a] time afore the ladder bee remooved, that is called [a] course ..they will say that hee wanteth..soe many course to the [e] nde of the howse.

Lay a course of Stone on the Cornish.

Three or four or five course of Bricks to be laid.

The beginning, the several courses , and the close of a human life.

In some parts of the walls courses of Roman brick might still be seen.

Broad bricks laid in several courses among small squared stone.

Drawed out these bundles and took it up on a fork... On your backs. And, uh, and let it down in courses .

Before any courses are laid, a thin layer of straw is spread as a lining course over the battens.

A secondary skin of seven courses of brickwork has later been built up.

The bottom courses just above ground level..show loss of mortar from the lowest joints.

course 1421– Building . A single continuous horizontal layer of bricks, stones, timber, or other building material, in a wall, the face of a building, etc…

Ley þe iiij. course of þin Fleyssche..as brode as þin cake.

Set the nethermast course vpon the endes, and the seconde course flat vpon the syde.

Ouer those a newe course of trees and stones againe.

They..hove out the first course of the Centurion's star-board side.

Arter we'd got two or t'ree courses in, I couldn't see my chummy on the cart.

[North Yorkshire] . A course , inloading sheaves of corn on a cart, is two sheaves thick; they being laid endways, that is, forwards and backwards for one layer; and then to one side and the other, for another layer.

course a1450– A layer, stratum. Now English regional .
couch 1661– A layer, stratum, bed; esp. a layer or coat of paint, varnish, etc.
stratum 1671– In various technical contexts. A natural layer or bed of sediment or rock having a consistent composition and representing a more or less…
dess 1673– A stratum, a layer.
strata 1676– = stratum , n. 1, 2a.
bed 1684– Geology . A layer or stratum of some thickness.
floor 1692– A layer, a stratum; a horizontal course.
flooring 1697– A natural floor; a stratum.
stratification a1703– Geology . Each of the strata produced by successive deposition of layers of sediment; = stratum , n. 2a.
rock 1712–1851 English regional ( Northamptonshire ). A series of strata. Obsolete .
lie a1728– concrete . A mass that lies; a stratum, layer.
lay-bed 1728 The bed in which something is laid or lies. A layer, stratum. Obsolete .
post 1794– Mining . A compact stratum of sandstone, limestone, etc. Now rare .

Your Citharen lyeth before you with his 4 course of strings.

Course ,..2 (Music.) A set of strings of the same tone placed alongside, and struck one, two, or three at a time, according to the strength of sound desired.

Six pieces for the four- course guitar.

A guitar-like instrument with six courses (pairs of strings).

13 Course Baroque Lute with case.

He specifies that the ‘common’ type has six courses of strings.

string Old English– A cord or line (composed of vegetable fibre, gut, or fine wire) adapted to produce a musical sound when stretched and caused to vibrate.
chord a1340– spec. A string of a musical instrument, such as a harp. (Now only poetic ; ordinarily string .)
cord a1340–1830 A string of a musical instrument; now written chord , n.¹
sinew 1605 A tendon taken out of an animal body and used for some purpose, esp. for binding or tying with; hence, †a snare; a string in a musical instrument.
course 1609– Music . In a musical instrument: a pair or set of adjacent strings tuned to the same note or (occasionally) an octave apart, and typically played…

All these Coruscations, how ever they appear, are a certain signe of Courses of Metalls [German Ertzgäng ] , that by them they may be known, and Metalls as certain gifts of God may be brought forth out of the earth.

Any Vein or Lode is often termed a Course .

In the Earl of Winton's ground at Cockeny, there is found a course of coals and freestone, dipping to the SE. in the Links.

A good course of copper ore has been discovered at what is considered a deep level in this district.

In the Moose Mine the largest and richest courses of ore lay from horizontal to a pitch of thirty-six degrees.

course 1650– Mining and Geology . A vein of ore or other mineral; (also) a seam or stratum of coal or rock.

Then work your instep-needle, and so work plain one course round about, til you come to your right hand heel Needle.

The workman made alternate courses of blue and white, and only worked the machine every other course ; the result was, a stripe of blue and white was made down the ribbed stockings.

The heel having a reinforced portion comprising a plurality of courses .

By knitting the fabric so that a locking thread moves through the different courses this laddering can be prevented.

In this class you'll explore a wide variety of knit fabrics and learn how to identify the right side, wales and courses .

course 1655– Knitting and Textiles . A row of stitches or loops across the width of a knitted fabric.
row 1786– Knitting . A single line of stitches.
turning row 1946– In knitting and crochet. A row knitted in such a way as to mark, or assist in turning, the hem of a garment.
turning row 1970– In knitting and crochet. A partial row in which only a portion of the stitches are worked before the work is turned, typically used to create…

A second course of teeth is cut to form the double cut file, crossing the first diagonally.

A row of parallel teeth on the face of a file. One course makes a single-cut file. A course crossing the file at right angles constitutes it a double-cut file.

In making a cross-cut file, when the first course of teeth had been cut it was necessary to strip away irregularities with a pottance file.

Seven courses of stairs brought you up hither with fatigue and shortened breath.

There are four courses of stairs in the path to Bawa Matalua, seven hundred stone steps in all.

stair Old English– An ascending series or ‘flight’ of steps leading from one level to another, esp. from one floor to another in a house; a staircase.
grece 1382– A flight of stairs or steps; a stairway.
grecing c1400– Chiefly plural . Steps in a flight; flights of steps; stairs. Rarely singular . A step; also, ? a flight of steps (quot. 1500).
pair c1450– A set or flight of stairs or steps; (also) a portable set of steps. Also figurative .
slip 1480 A stairway. Obsolete . rare .
pair, flight of stairs 1556 collective plural (of sense 2). = sense 1. Also, in generalized sense, the steps of staircases. (In the latter use, the plural of sense 2 coincides…
scale 1592–1705 A flight (of stairs); a staircase. Obsolete .
staircase 1624– Originally, ‘The inclosure of a pair of Stairs, whether it be with Walls, or with Walls and Railes and Bannisters, &c.’ (Moxon Mech. Exerc. …
scalier 1652–53 A staircase.
dancers 1667– plural . Stairs. slang .
flight 1703– The series of stairs between any two landings; hence a series of steps, terraces, etc., ascending without change of direction.
stairway 1767– A way up a flight of stairs, a staircase.
course 1828– A flight of stairs. Now rare .
apple(s) and pears 1857– In full apple(s) and pears . Stairs.

In putting the tobacco in the hogshead for packing, a man gets inside, shoes off... A single row of bundles is then laid all around the edge on the heads of the last circle, then across the hogshead in parallel rows... This is called a course and these courses are continued until the hogshead be filled.

A course is run from A to B, the bundles being placed at right angles to this line.

The hands are laid in courses in shingle fashion with the butts pointing outward.

The whyte or lede coloured vryne hauyng whyte shelles therin swymmynge, sygnyfyeth the cours or fluxum menstrualem of women.

Beware that they which haue their monethly courses , doe not then..come neare.

The monthly course of women.

When Maids begin to have their Courses .

Chast-tree..stops the courses .

Women conceive best, in the first five or six Days, that follow their Courses .

For eighteen months she had not seen her courses .

Her last course came on April 14th.

Amma, my monthly courses are late. What am I going to do?

Eugenia's courses were late, which was unusual for her.

monthly Old English– In singular and (more usually) plural . The menstrual discharge; a menstrual period. Cf. menses , n. Now colloquial .
menstruum a1398– In singular and plural . The menstrual discharge; the menses. Also in extended use (see quot. 1933). Now rare or historical .
flower c1400–1858 transferred . plural . The menstrual discharge; the menses; = catamenia , n. Obsolete .
menstrue ?a1425–1684 The menstrual discharge. In plural .
women's evil c1450 = menstruation , n.
menstruosity 1503–1654 The menstrual discharge. Also: the condition or state of menstruating.
course 1526– A menstrual period (frequently in plural ). In early use also: †menstrual bleeding, menstruation ( obsolete ).
monthly time 1564– An occurrence of menstruation; = period , n. A.I.ii.8. Frequently more fully as monthly time . Formerly also in plural : †the menstrual discharge ( obs …
reds 1568– In plural . The menstrual discharge; a menstrual period; (also) †excessive menstrual bleeding ( obsolete ). Now rare ( colloquial in later use).
month courses 1574 monthly menstrual discharge.
purgation 1577 Menstruation; an instance of this; a menstrual discharge. Obsolete .
women's courses 1577– = menses , n. Cf. course , n.¹ A.IV.23a.
month 1578–1826 Usually in plural . The menstrual discharge; a menstrual period. Cf. menses , n. Obsolete .
menses 1597– With plural agreement. The menstrual discharge; menstruation.
menstruals 1598–1788 In plural . The menstrual discharge; the menses. Obsolete .
flourish 1606 plural = flowers (see flower , n. 2b).
nature 1607– Menstrual discharge. rare (in later use Irish English and in African American usage).
fluors 1621–1724 In plural . Menstruation; menstrual periods; = flower , n. 2b. Cf. bloody flux , n. Obsolete .
mois 1662–1890 An occurrence of menstruation. rare .
period 1690– More fully monthly period . An occurrence of menstruation.
catamenia 1764– With plural agreement. The menstrual discharge.
turn 1819– Chiefly U.S. A menstrual period. Frequently in plural . Now historical and rare .
visitor 1980– A menstrual discharge; = visit , n. 4. slang .

It..is medicynable ageynste goutes, ioynt aches, and feuers, whiche come by courses .

He..died of a severe course of gout.

Nine patients in ten would go through a course of fever in less time, with less suffering.

course ?1537–1838 An acute episode of a disease, esp. a disease of a relapsing nature. Obsolete .

Unto the poore..of this parishe a Course of Candelles xvj in the pounde.

No..Maker of Candles..shall begin to make any Course or Making of Candles, without Notice thereof first given.

Every chandler or maker of candles for sale, before he begins to work upon, dip, or make any course , or making of candles, [etc.] .

course 1552–1774 A set of candles made in a single batch. Obsolete .
stick 1711– Candle-making . A batch of candles made by hanging a number of wicks from a stick and dipping them into heated wax or tallow. Now historical and rare .

I am tide tot'h stake, and I must stand the course .

They haue tied me to a stake, I cannot flye, But Beare-like I must fight the course .

Also you shall see two ten dogge- courses at the Great Beare.

I am brought to the stake perforce, and must stand the course .

President Roosevelt must fight the course .

course 1608–1907 In bear-baiting: one of several instances of setting dogs to attack a captive bear during a fight. Chiefly figurative . Obsolete .

Tuo Reidaris in the Municipall and Romane Lawis, who sall compleit thair coursses in four yeares.

Maffee lies, when he saith som of them were Doctors of diuinity, & some had begun their course .

[He] will pass his course in the colledge within two years.

Any one of these Classes or Courses will require about three Months.

A regular course of study and exercise was judiciously instituted.

He began to deliver..a course of lectures on the Epistles of St. Paul.

A practical course in domestic science.

He went on a course at a government training centre.

Enrolling in college as a freshman, Genie plans to take general education courses this semester.

This 15-week course will show film-goers how to articulate their attitudes toward movies.

I finally decided what I was going to do for my degree course .

course 1560– A series of lectures, lessons, or instructional sessions in a particular subject; (chiefly British ) a prescribed or planned curriculum or program…
discipline 1676– A period or course of training or education. Now rare .
class 1691– An occasion when pupils meet with their teacher for instruction; the instruction given on such an occasion, a lesson; (frequently in plural ) a course…
curriculum 1824– A course; spec. a regular course of study or training, as at a school or university. (The recognized term in the Scottish Universities.) curriculum …
cursus 1875– The Latin word for course , n.¹ & adv.¹ ; occasionally used in medieval or technical senses, as (a) A race-course, running-ground, or drive; also…

To hir they certaine prayers giue, that here the Course [Latin Cursum ] they call.

The course or order of daily prayer for the seven hours.

Shewing..that the Scottish.. course was of as ancient and noble parentage as their own.

The course came to be known by several names, the Office Hours, Canonical Hours, Divine Office, opus Dei , etc.

service ?c1225– spec. A form of liturgy prescribed for daily use which does not include celebration of the Eucharist; the Divine Office (= office , n. 1(a)). See also…
hour a1250– Ecclesiastical In plural . The prayers or offices appointed to be said at the seven stated times of the day allotted to prayer ( canonical hours : see…
office c1300– Christian Church . An authorized form of divine service or worship, spec. (a) (Also Divine Office ) a non-Eucharistic service for daily use; esp. (in…
divine service 1389–1513 A non-Eucharistic service for daily use; the Divine Office; = service , n.¹ I.1b. Obsolete .
canonical hours 1483– (a) Stated times of the day appointed by the canons for prayer and devotion; (b) the hours (now from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) within which marriage can be…
course 1570– Christian Church . The prescribed series of prayers for the canonical hours.
choir office 1657– (In a Christian religious community) any of the divine services which are said or sung communally in the choir (see choir , n. 1 and in choir ).
little hours 1688– Christian Church . In the Western Church: the daily offices or canonical hours of prayer of prime, terce, sext, and none.

Such Patients..as be not past cure, God geueth bitter medicines vnto.., but such as are so farr gonne, that by ordinarye course of phisicke, they are not likelye to be recouered, he suffreth to doe what best liketh their phantasie, without controlment.

A wonderfull Physition; a wonder full course of cure.

A certaine strict course of dyet.

I am..in a course of Physick, and intend to vomitt tomorrow, with possett drink.

I have seen some of our Profession racking their Brains, and prescribing Courses of Physic to People with Hump-backs.

I wished..to put him on a course of chalybeate tonics.

The ‘ course ’ is usually fifteen douche-baths and five tube-baths.

They gave him a course of drugs.

Don't stop taking the antibiotic before the end of the course .

My docs have suggested a course of treatment more aggressive than hormone therapy.

medicine c1325–1579 An object or procedure intended to have healing power; a method or process of curative or preventative treatment; a defence against illness or…
regimen a1400– The regulation of aspects of life (diet, exercise, etc.) which have an influence on a person's health (frequently without article). Also: a mode of…
regiment ?a1425–1817 Medicine . = regimen , n. 1a. Obsolete .
discipline ?a1439–1859 Medical regimen ( regimen , n. 1a); an instance of this. Obsolete . rare .
course ?1587– A planned or prescribed series of medical treatments, doses of medication, etc. Frequently in course of treatment .
regime 1864– Originally: †the regulation of aspects of life that affect a person's health or welfare (occasionally without article) ( obsolete ). Hence: a…
diet a1393– A dietary regimen that restricts what or how a person eats, esp. by limiting the kind or quantity of food eaten to improve health or well-being…
dietary c1450– A diet that excludes, restricts, or is limited to certain foods, esp. one prescribed for a person's health; (also) a book, treatise, etc., detailing…
elimination diet 1928– a. A diet prescribed to identify foods that may be causing adverse effects in a person, in which all suspected foods are excluded and then…

Surnames..which, in a course of years, have generally undergone as many chops and changes as their owners.

Practices indulged by us in our youth, and persisted in during a long course of years.

Formed in a long course of centuries.

Persons who have been housemates for a course of years.

Among infants who recover from BPD..room air may be tolerated after a course of weeks or months.

row ?1510– In extended use. A string or series of something immaterial.
procession a1564– concrete . In extended use: a regular series, sequence, row, or succession of things.
sequence a1575– A continuous or connected series (of things).
succession 1579– A series of persons or things in orderly sequence; a continued line ( of sovereigns, heirs to an estate, etc.); an unbroken line or stretch ( of …
pomp 1595– literary . Any procession or sequence of persons or things. Also: an imposing movement of water, etc. Now rare .
suite 1597– A set of things belonging together; a succession or series of things of the same type.
rosary 1604– Originally and chiefly Roman Catholic Church . In extended use. Cf. litany , n. 2.
sequel 1615–1770 Sequence, order of succession; also a number of things in succession, a series. Obsolete .
series 1618– A number of discrete things of one kind (esp. events or actions) following one another in succession over time, or in order of appearance or…
rope 1621– figurative . A long series.
success 1632–76 An instance of this; a succession. Obsolete .
concatenation 1652– quasi- concrete . A concatenated series or system, an interdependent or unbroken sequence, a ‘chain’. Non-material.
sorites 1664– transferred . A series, chain, or accumulation of some thing or things.
string 1713– A continuous series or succession (e.g. of stories, questions, incidents, historical personages).
course 1760– gen. A prolonged series of years, months, etc.
chain 1791– A continuous linear series of material objects. Of objects purposely connected, or connecting points in a line.
serie 1840– A single series (in various senses), as distinguished from series used as a plural; (also) a member of a series.
daisy chain 1856– figurative and transferred . (Esp. in services' contexts: see quots.).
nexus 1858– A connected group or series; a network.
catena 1862– A chain, a connected series. generally . ‘Chain, string’.
litany 1961– A succession or catalogue of phenomena, esp. unfortunate events. Cf. chapter , n. phrases P.4.

Upon six bells there are also single and double Courses , viz. twelve changes in every single Course , as in Grandsire Bob &c. and twenty four changes in every double Course , as in Colledg Bob, &c.

Some Peals upon five Bells consist of single Courses , wherein are ten Changes, and twelve Courses make the Peal.

The two hind Bells dodge, and the five first go a perfect Hunting- Course .

Treble Bob ..derives its name from the fact that, instead of the plain hunting course , the bells, and more especially the ‘Treble’, have a dodging course .

You will see that our plain course now consists of 5 leads each of 12 changes.

Plain Bob Minor showing the path of a bell through the course , which can be learnt as a pattern.

grandsire 1668– Bell-ringing . In later use chiefly with capital initials. A basic method of change-ringing, usually using an odd number of bells.
half-pull 1668– A single stroke (handstroke or backstroke) used in a sequence of changes (now constituting the usual method of ringing, in contrast to the whole…
whole pull 1668– a handstroke followed by a backstroke (or vice versa); cf. half-pull , n.
bob 1671– ‘A term used by change-ringers to denote certain changes in the working of the methods by which long peals of changes are produced.’ treble bob is…
peal 1671– Bell-ringing . A series of changes rung on a set of bells (also without article, as in peal ); the ringing of such a series.
course 1677– Bell-ringing . The successive shifting of the order in which a particular bell is struck in a series of changes ( change , n. I.9a); (now usually) a…
set changes 1677– = set peal , n.
single 1684– In various specific or technical senses. A form of change in bell-ringing.
single change 1688– (See quot. 1688.)
set peal a1700 A ringing of a peal of bells in one position for a considerable length of time before a change is given.
Plain Bob 1702– A change-ringing method in which the bells make the minimum possible departure from the plain hunt.
Stedman 1731– Used attributively and in the possessive to designate a method of change-ringing devised by Stedman. Also absol.
Superlative Surprise 1788– A complicated method of change-ringing, being a variation of treble bob ( bob , n.⁵ ); cf. surprise , n. 5.
touch 1788– Bell-ringing . In English change-ringing: any series of changes in a chosen method ( method , n. I.4) that is shorter than a peal (cf. peal , n.¹ I.1d).
triple 1798– Bell-ringing . A peal rung on seven bells with the tenor, i.e. the eighth, behind; the bells interchanging each time in three sets of two.
triple bob major 1809– Apparently an error for treble bob major : see bob , n.⁵
maximus 1813– Bell-ringing . A peal rung on twelve bells, the greatest number in change-ringing, hypothetically consisting of up to 479,001,600 changes. See also b …
royal 1813– Bell-ringing . In change-ringing: a peal rung on ten bells. Cf. bob royal at bob , n.⁵
call changes 1837– Changes ( change , n. I.9a) rung in response to spoken or written commands.
slam 1854– dialect . (See quot. 1854.)
cater 1872– Change-ringing . (See quot. 1878.)
cinques 1872– plural . ‘The name given by change-ringers to changes on eleven bells, probably from the fact that five pairs of bells change places in order of…
triple change 1872– One in which three pairs of bells change places.
plain hunt 1874– The most basic method of change-ringing, in which in each course the treble follows a direct path from the lead to the back and then back to the…
plain hunting 1874– The ringing of a plain hunt.
quarter peal 1888– A short peal comprising one quarter of the number of changes in a full peal.
method 1901– Bell-ringing . Any of various ordered sets of changes.
short course 1904– (See quot.).

These three several Names are regularly successively applied to the said several Fields, according to the Course they come in, of being sowed with Wheat or Pease, &c. or lying Fallow.

The usual course for stiff land ought to be, first the fallow, wheat the second, beans the third, and oats the fourth year.

The turnip and grass-land course , which is the prevalent course on the more or less fertile, sandy and gravelly loams.

The general system of working the land is on the four or five years' course ; of roots, spring corn, seeds for one or two years, and wheat.

This five-year course consisted of cereal, cereal undersown, one-year seeds, cereal and fallow.

The usual course in the deeper and better of the warm loams..was the three-field one of (1) fallow, (2) winter corn, (3) spring corn.

field course 1696– †a. A right of way through a field or fields ( obsolete rare ); b. Agriculture a system of crop rotation suitable for a field; a crop used in such a…
course 1756– Agriculture . A particular sequence of crops, or of crops and fallowing, used on a piece of ground in successive seasons to improve its…
rotation 1757– Agriculture . The practice or system of regularly changing the crops grown on a piece of ground in successive years, according to a definite…
turnip system 1763– A system of crop rotation distinguished by the use of turnips as one of four crops sown in rotation; also called the four-course system (see four-c …
succession 1779– Agriculture and Horticulture . (a) The rotation (of crops); (b) the maturing of crops of the same kind by a system of successive sowings so that as…
convertible husbandry 1811– convertible husbandry : that which consists in a rotation of crops, whereby the pasture of one year is converted into the corn-land of another, and…
four-field course 1842– A series of crops grown in four fields in rotation.

Pelops to Atreus, chief of men; he, dying, gave it course To prince Thyestes, rich in herds.

Of art he radde six ȝer..& siþþe for beo [ emended in ed. to for to beo] more profound..arsmetrike radde in cours in Oxenford wel faste.

The tapster..straight leaves His other guestes, in course to take his cup.

Hearing there were words between us, and fearing that hostilities would ensue in course .

Everything now appearing to go on successfully and in course .

Mr. George Miller arrived in due course .

When the boys got promotion, which came in due course .

We will teach this fellow every accomplishment in due course .

The issue will become clearer in due course .

in course c1300– According to the usual or customary process or procedure; according to the natural or expected progress of events; as a consequence. Now only in in …
in due course 1876– According to the usual or customary process or procedure; according to the natural or expected progress of events; as a consequence. Now only in in …

An er þai aght in curs to kene, Qua, quate, qui, quare, quam wit, quen, Hu oft-sith, on quatkin-wise.

When the rest..Tell mirthfull tales in course that fils the roome With laughter.

He that was defied gave the first stroak, and so they struck in course .

If Mr. Carmichael..acknowledge the Fact..he in Course must turn Libeller of the calumnious Brethren who informed him.

about Old English– In turn, in succession (around a circle of people, etc.); alternately (between two people). Now U.S. regional ( rare ) and in turn about and turn and …
whilemeal a1382 Used to render Latin vicissim by turns.
by whiles 1382–88 Used in the Wycliffite Bible to render Latin vicissitudo in senses of turn : (a) a service rendered (= turn , n. I.i.4a); (b) by whiles , by turns ( turn …
in course a1400–1750 In succession, in turn. Obsolete .
in turn a1500– in one's turn : in one's due order in a series (often used rhetorically to indicate an act duly or naturally following a similar act on the part of…
circularly 1648–61 In rotation, among a circle of people. Obsolete .
in rotation 1771– in rotation : in or according to a regular sequence; in a recurring succession.
round-by-round 1933– That describes or analyses each round of a contest, esp. a boxing match, in turn; also in extended use.
rotationally 1950– Originally: in turn, in succession. Later also: in a rotational manner; by or with respect to rotation.

Of crafty colours to knaw all in course set.

Four stones in course one within another.

on (also in) a rew ?c1225–1631 on (also in) a rew : in a row or line. Obsolete .
on row ?a1300–1805 In a line. Obsolete ( archaic in later use).
in a row c1330– colloquial . in a row : so as to form, or be in, a line. Also in extended use (of occurrences): in succession, consecutively.
on (also upon) a row a1350–1923 In a line. archaic in later use.
in row c1450– in row : in line, in order. Now rare .
in (also on, upon) rows a1500– in (also †on, †upon) rows : in lines.
in course c1540–1665 In a row or line. Obsolete .
on a rank ?1575– Consecutively, in succession (cf. in a row at row , n.¹ phrases P.1d). Obsolete .
of a rank 1581– †of a rank : in a line or file. Obsolete .

Then some portions of the Scripture should be read in course , of which, the Psalmes should ever be part.

Of the 929 Chapters of the Old Testament, 753 are read in course , and 176 only omitted.

Dr. Johnson..ridiculed the idea of reading any book in course . He said he never read any book through but the Bible.

The whole Psalter is sung through ‘ in course ’ every month, instead of there being fixed Psalms appointed for several days.

Mattins had three lessons read in course .

In Cranmer's first prayer book all one hundred fifty psalms were to be read in course monthly.

The inclination itself..is in this case uppermost, and in course takes the commanding post.

If he had, I should in course have put the bow I made him into French too.

In course they are convertible words.

‘Oh, in course ,’ echoed the tall man.

Knowin' the h'age that Jorrocks wanted a bye of, why, in course , he said I was just of that age.

‘That's what has come of the diamonds.’ ‘Benjamin, in course ,’ said Bunfit.

‘Is she there?’ ‘ In course , and Miss Francis too.’

in wis Old English–1380 to wis(se) , Old English tó wissum (for *tó ( ge)wissum þinge ), mid wisse , occasionally in wis : of a certainty, for certain. (Cf. wis , adv. )
mid iwisse Old English–1315 Certainty: in mid iwisse with certainty, certainly (= B); also to iwisse for certain. Obsolete .
to iwisse Old English–1315 Certainty: in mid iwisse with certainty, certainly (= B); also to iwisse for certain. Obsolete .
to wis(se) Old English–1380 to wis(se) , Old English tó wissum (for *tó ( ge)wissum þinge ), mid wisse , occasionally in wis : of a certainty, for certain. (Cf. wis , adv. )
without(en (any) ween c1175–1575 without(en (any) ween , but ween ( Scottish ), forout(en ween ( Scottish ): without doubt.
sans fail 1297– = failure , n. 1. Obsolete except in phrase without fail ; now used only to strengthen an injunction or a promise; formerly also with statements of…
thereof no strife 1297–1407 Phr. without strife : without demur; without doubt, indisputably, unquestionably. Sometimes apparently a mere tag, for rhyme. Also, thereof no strife …
but were a1300–1574 Often in phr. (usually introduced as a mere tag) but were , forouten were , out of were , without were , without doubt. Also occasionally with any .
forouten were a1300–1574 Often in phr. (usually introduced as a mere tag) but were , forouten were , out of were , without were , without doubt. Also occasionally with any .
out of were a1300–1574 Often in phr. (usually introduced as a mere tag) but were , forouten were , out of were , without were , without doubt. Also occasionally with any .
without were a1300–1574 Often in phr. (usually introduced as a mere tag) but were , forouten were , out of were , without were , without doubt. Also occasionally with any .
without deceit 1303–1629 in deceit of : so as to deceive; so to the deceit of , upon deceit , under deceit , with no deceit , without deceit : without mistake, assuredly…
for certain c1320– for certain ; formerly (and still dialect ) also for a certain : as a certainty, assuredly.
it is to witting c1320–1628 to wit . it is to wit (also it is to witting ): it is to be observed, noted, or ascertained; so it were to wit , it needs investigation, one ought to…
withouten care c1320 Burdened state of mind arising from fear, doubt, or concern about anything; solicitude, anxiety, mental perturbation; also in plural anxieties…
without nay c1330–1594 without nay : beyond doubt or dispute, assuredly, certainly. Obsolete .
without no c1330–1400 without no : beyond denial, certainly. Cf. without nay at nay , n. B.1a. Obsolete .
without (but out of) dread 1340–1556 Doubt, risk of the thing proving otherwise. Chiefly in phr.: without (but out of) dread , without doubt, doubtless; no dread , no fear, no doubt.
no doubt c1380– Phrases. no doubt : undoubtedly, doubtless.
without distance c1390–1500 Indisputably, certainly, assuredly. Obsolete .
no frese a1400–1500 no frese = ‘no doubt’.
out of doubt a1400–1656 Phrases. out of doubt : without doubt, doubtless ( obsolete ).
without doubt a1400– Phrases. without doubt : (a) Certainly, undoubtedly; †(b) without fear, fearlessly ( obsolete ).
for, (in, at), of, to (a) certainty c1400– for, (in, †at), of, to (a) certainty : as a matter of certainty, beyond doubt, assuredly.
hazel woods shake a1413 Used as an interjection, probably expressing derision or (mocking) incredulity (see note at sense 1a); the phrase hazel woods shake appears to be…
of, on, in warrantise c1440– of, on, in warrantise : of a surety, for certain, without fail, I warrant you.
sure enough ?1440– sure enough : used to indicate that a particular turn of events is predictable or inevitable. Cf. sure (also sho) 'nuff at nuff , adv.
without question ?1440– Without doubt, unquestionably.
wythout diswere c1440–1660 Doubt. wythout diswere , without doubt, ‘iwis’: common as a metrical tag.
without any dispayre c1470 without any dispayre : a metrical tag, meaning apparently ‘without doubt, without fail, certainly, iwis’: perhaps an alteration of ‘ without diswere , di …
for (also of) a surety ?a1475– A certainty; a fact. Esp. in for (also of) a surety : for certain. Now somewhat archaic .
in (also for) sureness a1475– Objective or absolute certainty. Also in in (also for) sureness : surely, certainly. Now rare .
of certain c1485– of a certain (archaic), formerly of certain : as a matter of certainty, certainly, assuredly. To this may belong Caxton's a certain ; but this may…
without any (also all) nay a1500– without any (also all) nay : beyond any possible doubt. Now archaic and rare .
withouten stance a1500–73 Dissension, dispute: = distance , n. I.1 withouten stance : without dispute, undoubtedly.
out of question ?1526– The raising of a doubt about or objection to something. Chiefly in adverbial phrases, as beyond (all) question , †out of question , †past question …
past question ?1526– The raising of a doubt about or objection to something. Chiefly in adverbial phrases, as beyond (all) question , †out of question , †past question …
for sure 1534– for sure : as a certainty, for certain; without doubt; undoubtedly. Frequently in that's for sure . In later, colloquial use often used emphatically…
what else 1540– what else : what else should be the case; (formerly also, as an emphatic affirmative reply) †certainly ( obsolete ).
beyond (also out of, past, without) (all) peradventure 1542– beyond (also †out of, †past, without) (all) peradventure : out of the realm of uncertainty, beyond question, without doubt.
to be a bidden by 1549– Cf. to be a bidden by , properly abidden by : to be maintained; also adverbially = undoubtedly, we may be sure.
out of (also without) all cry 1565–1875 out of (also without) all cry : (a) Beyond all cavil or dispute; to a certainty; certain; (b) (also, out of cry ) beyond measure; to excess…
with a witness 1579– with a witness : with clear evidence, without a doubt, ‘with a vengeance’, ‘and no mistake’. Obsolete or rare ( archaic ).
upon my word 1591– Now chiefly as upon my word (also 'pon my word : see pon , prep. ). As an asseveration: assuredly, certainly, truly, indeed. In later use also as a…
no question 1594– Used parenthetically: without doubt.
out of all suspicion 1600 Constructions and phrases. †of suspicion : that is (to be) suspected, suspicious. †without (or but) suspicion : without being suspected, unsuspected…
for a certain 1608 for certain ; formerly (and still dialect ) also for a certain : as a certainty, assuredly.
without scruple 1612–90 without scruple : without doubt or question, doubtless. (Used to qualify an assertion.) Obsolete .
to be sure 1615– As a sentence adverbial: (in affirmative use) for a certainty; certainly, undoubtedly, of course; (in concessive use) it must be admitted, indeed…
that's pos 1710– colloquial . Positive (in various senses); certain (esp. in that's pos ). Also as adv.
in course 1722–1895 Used to qualify a clause, statement, reply, etc.: naturally, as might be expected. Obsolete .
of course 1790– Used to qualify a clause, statement, reply, etc.: naturally, as might be expected; for obvious reasons, obviously.
beyond (all) question 1817– The raising of a doubt about or objection to something. Chiefly in adverbial phrases, as beyond (all) question , †out of question , †past question …
(and) no mistake 1818– colloquial . (and) no mistake : without any doubt, undoubtedly, for certain. Used to emphasize the validity of a preceding statement. Also attributive …
no two ways about it (also that) 1818– colloquial (originally U.S. ). no two ways about it (also that) : used to convey that there can be no doubt about something.
bien entendu 1844– Of course; that goes without saying.
yessiree 1846– Used to express emphatic affirmation: ‘yes indeed’. Occasionally more fully yessiree bob , yessiree bub . Cf. no siree , int. , yessir , int.
you bet you 1857– absol. To lay a wager. you bet ( slang , chiefly in U.S.): be assured, certainly; also you bet you .
make no mistake 1876– make no mistake : have no doubt ( about something).
acourse 1883– Of course, naturally.
sans doute 1890– Doubtless, no doubt.
you bet your bippy 1968– you bet your (sweet) bippy and variants: be assured, certainly; cf. bet , v. c. Hence: the buttocks, the backside.

Neiþer is it euydent in liȝt of resoun wheþer þou madist it al at oonys or in course of daies.

Through the death of those two noble peres My brother lived and raignde a quiet king, Who had they lived perchaunce in course of yeares, Would have delivered Henry from the breres.

Any crosses that may arrive unto them in the course of their lives.

In the course of one revolving Moon, Was Chymist, Fidler, States-Man, and Buffoon.

Difficulties which presented themselves in the course of our inquiry.

In the course of the morning.

Wherever the water overflows the lake's edge it incrusts the ground,..so that the brim is perpetually growing higher and higher..and in course of generations the lake will become a concreted basin.

He was surrounded by a thousand deadly enemies made in the course of this duty.

It was only now that Eamonn understood how you could decide you wanted to marry someone in the course of an afternoon without drugs being the primary factor.

as Old English– Introducing a contemporaneous event or action: at or during the time that; when, while; at any time that, whenever.
for the time c1390– for the time (formerly also †for time ): = for the time being at be , v. phrases P.1b. Now rare .
in the course of c1443– in (the) course of : after or during a period of time; during (a specified activity); in the process of.
in the meantime of 1447 in the meantime . During or within the time intervening between a particular period or event and a subsequent one; while or until a (specified)…
for long a1530– Throughout a long period. Now chiefly in negative contexts. Also occasionally †for long and long , for long together . Also (chiefly with reference…
wherein 1535– In, at, during, or in the course of which (time).
therein 1539– In or during that time.
in course of time 1566– in (the) course of time : after a period of time; as time goes by.
inside of 1839– inside of (in reference to time): Within the space of; in less than the whole of (a period); before the end of. U.S. , Australian , etc. colloquial .

How he was in course of time, from such estate vnsold.

Aire into Fire doth passe..Aire into Water too..And yet this permutation cannot be, But in the course of Time .

In the course of time they shall be exposed from the dilapidations of the mountain.

There are many Americanisms which in the course of time will work their way into the language of England.

In the course of time.. [it] may be introduced.

The Hollins street neighborhood is slowly going downhill, and in the course of time it is bound to be a slum.

In course of time some dynasties came to accept all four madhhabs , or schools of law, as being equally valid.

In the course of time the Arad Festival became a magnet for secondary school students.

For no man can be sure that the like opportunity will return again: future things being so much in the dark, that neither he, nor any one else can inform him what shall be hereafter; or when that will come, which in the course of things may probably be expected.

The natural Punishment therefore of a licentious and unbridled Tongue, is the Inconveniencies it is very apt to bring, in the course of things , upon the Person himself.

It is in the course of things ..for states to shake from their foundations, when religion and law begin to fall into disrepute.

In the course of things men of other ideas came to rule.

The clansmen became tenants, and the chiefs, in the course of things , sold them out.

[He] ended up missing four straight days of work... He had warned each staff member privately that such an absence was possible, that this was in the course of things .

Which himself should in course of Nature inherit.

No account being received in course of the post.

A line is now in course of construction to the Hudson.

In course of post there came an answer.

There are, today, a number of nylon polymers in course of development.

A company is in course of formation so soon as any act is done for the purpose of forming it.

His catalogue of Georges Auric's music and a four-volume edition of his writings on music are in course of publication.

by course of c1405– by course of : according to the customary procedure or process of (the law, nature, etc.).
in course of a1656– in course of : according to the usual or natural process of; (in later use chiefly) undergoing the process of (construction, publication, etc.).
by course c1400–1751 According to the usual, proper, or customary process or procedure; according to the natural or expected progress of events; as a consequence; in…
of course 1533– As adverbial phrase: in due course; according to the usual, expected, or customary order or process; as a natural result. †of common course …
on course 1619–1711 In adverbial phrase: in due course; according to the usual, expected, or customary order or process; as a natural result. Obsolete .
par for the course 1947– figurative . par for the course : what is normal or expected in any given circumstances.

Þis wit..haþ ofte many greues..and somtyme it passith out of cours [Latin cursum suum egreditur ] .

Þe pape sauh out of cours þe wikkednes of Ion.

Master Jhon Petit..wrested scripture and doctors so far out of course .

He spake manie thinges notablie, but this, oute of course .

The Resurrection of Honesty and Industry can never be hop'd for, while this Sort of Vermin is suffered to crawl about.., putting every Thing out of Course .

All States and Statesmen are those mighty Things Which, howsoe'er they out of course may roll, Were never made for Poets to controul.

Exercise feels not accordant spirits, Since things are grown so out of course .

out of course a1398–1800 out of course : out of proper order; in deviation from the natural or normal way; improperly, anomalously. Obsolete .

Euery wilde dere a-store Hij mowen by cours ernen tofore.

Moche sorowe for þe sight & sobbyng of teres..hom be course felle.

The kynges grace hath systers..whych by succession and course are inheritours to the crowne.

So by course my lease might bee long.

That it may..not be violently forced into a high Fermentation; for then by Course the Salt and Sulphur will be too violently agitated.

Another ordinary has, by course , the charge of preparing and making up the states in concluded causes.

And by course questioning with them.

They tooke their iourney..Claius & Strephon by course carying his chest for him.

These Psalms we sing or say by course , The Priest one verse, and the people another.

As though that could not be known which knows not again by course .

[To] sing to themselves or to another by course ..or one after another.

During the space of three-score Days, it lays every day an Egg; and within the like space of Time they are hatch'd into young Ones, by sitting or lying upon them by course , the Male one while and the Female another.

changeably c1384–1717 Alternately; one after the other; in turn. Obsolete .
alternately 1432– In alternate order; one after the other, in turn.
interchangeably 1483– Alternately, in turn, one after the other.
handy-dandy a1529– With (rapid) alternation of place, position, status, etc.; alternately, in turn.
time about 1537– Alternately; by turns. Later (now more usually) in the fuller form time and time about (cf. turn and turn about at turn , n. phrases P.1a.v.ii)…
by course 1548–1730 By turns, in turn, alternately. Obsolete .
at (by) intervals 1588– at (†by) intervals , now and again, not continuously. Also †by intervals , alternately.
alternatively 1591– Alternately, in turn.
reciprocally 1603–21 Alternately. Obsolete . rare .
by reprises 1607– A resumption or renewal of an action; a separate instance or occasion of doing something. Chiefly in at —— reprises , in —— reprises . Now somewhat ar …
alternally 1627– = alternately , adv.
alterably 1635 Alternately, in turn. Obsolete . rare .
altern 1667–1877 poetic . In turns, alternately. Obsolete .
alternate 1715– poetic . One after the other, in turns; alternately. Now rare .
by vicissitudes 1749 by vicissitudes , by turns. Obsolete .
alternatingly 1845– In an alternating manner; alternately.
changingly 1846–79 Alternately. Obsolete . rare .
Box-and-Coxwise 1959– In turns or shifts; alternately.

Dampned was this knyght for to be deed By cours of lawe.

And so by course of kynde he slepte.

Concord wes maid be cours of commoun law.

Cut off by course of Iustice.

They..yet expect a pardon by course of Law.

A life, which will soon, by course of nature, be extinct.

If one in possession of immoveable property is dispossessed otherwise than by course of law, he may..sue to recover possession.

All slaves coming into the possession of the state by course of law were ordered to be set free.

The Water of the Exe..ought to be common to the inhabitants of the said City to fish in and to have course and recourse with their boates, vessells, shyppes and marchandisez.

That the dere may haue course and recourse into the ground.

Dispaching eke with speede By course and recourse to and fro, What so he had decreed.

In their courses and recourses [they] observe a warlike kind of motion round.

[He] delivered the set time of the Suns course and recourse from tropik to tropik.

Tune..by Slowness more Grave: in Proportion to the Measure of Courses and Recourses .

It is requisite that the string should be in concord with the other, in order that its vibrations should have their course and recourse similar.

The Italian Vico..allowed himself to be oppressed by the idea of ‘course’ and ‘recourse’ as a law of nature imposed upon history.

Miller has described Catullus's poem sequences as..a multi-layered garden of forking paths enacted and enabled by the courses and recourses traced by the multi-directional roaming of each reader's reading, memory, and consciousness.

course and recourse ?1461– course and recourse : opportunity to go and return; movement back and forth; coming and going. Also figurative .
backing and filling 1777 Motion in a backward direction, esp. of the wind in a direction opposed to the sun's. backing and filling (see back , v. VI.16b). U.S.
come-and-go 1794– The action of coming and going; to-and-fro activity or movement; an instance of this.
to and fro 1847– Alternating or reciprocating movement; the action of walking or passing to and fro.
toing and froing 1847– (only in present participle and verbal noun toing and froing , rarely to-and-froing ). intransitive . To pass to and fro, to go hither and thither.
va-et-vient 1919– Coming and going, toing and froing; commerce, exchange; bandying (of argument).

Who so euer be aferde, may desyre & haue surety for the peace, yf he fere him self of his lyfe or bodyly harme, & may aske it of course vpon his othe as soone as he is aferd.

A pardon..which either is graunted of course , or y e kyng of pytee and compassion geueth.

That not once or twice, but of common course .

No man presuming to intimate, that it should be granted in any other manner than of course it had been.

Information..is by no means always given us of Course .

To dissolve the present parliament a year or two before it expires of course .

It was at one time made a question whether giving the royal assent to a single bill did not of course put an end to the session.

Let them be educated,..and all that is wanted or ought to be desired will follow of course .

With other clauses of course necessarie for the same.

The friendshippe betweene man and man as it is common so is it of course .

It will be said, that the Writ..is a formed Writ, on a Writ of course ..and that from this there is no varying.

Their Congratulations and Condoleances are equally Words of Course .

You profess a wish to oblige me, said Rosina; if only words of course , I beg you will spare my ear.

A case in which this right is supported, as a thing of course .

I am not using a mere phrase of course , when I say, etc.

‘I should like you to call and see her either today or tomorrow.’ ‘That's of course .’

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed briskly.., ‘that's of course . But people will talk, you know; one can never prevent them.’

It was common practice in the district registry concerned for extensions to be granted on ex parte applications more or less as of course .

of course 1541– As adjectival phrase: belonging to the usual or ordinary procedure; typical of the way of the world; customary; natural, to be expected; (of a…

I am of course very unwilling..to send an hurried or incorrect performance abroad.

I had an invitation..which, of course , I was obliged to decline.

She made some very particular inquiries about my people, which, of course , I was unable to answer.

It would be easy, of course , to exaggerate this truth of the continuity of history into a falsehood.

It may turn out, of course , that the experts are right and that their play is better.

As we hurried back to the lodge, we spotted the hyena, the ugly wildebeest,..and of course the gazelle.

I used to hate the prominent gap between my top front teeth. Of course , kids made fun of me for it.

‘They are so near, I shall see them every day.’ ‘ Of course ,’ said Sir Ulick.

‘You will tell her I am here?’..‘ Of course .’

‘He's been travelling a long while.’ ‘Yes, of course ,’ assented Mr Drew.

One never knew what Madala would do next, and yet when she'd done it, one said—‘ Of course ! Just what Madala would do!’

‘Jonah, aren't you taking a hell of a risk?’ ‘ Of course . We all are.’

Of course ! Now it dawns on him. They are with him because there is nowhere else for them to go.

When I asked Peggy Ashcroft if she was ever moved to tears by her own recitations, she said, with some acerbity, ‘ Of course not. Never.’

I asked Ilasaca if he made payments to Awicha. ‘ Of course ,’ he said.

The tide withdrawing vpon course , during the skirmish.

Thus Pilate..is desirous that Christ might be pardoned upon course .

When that is held, the rest do cease on course , as formerly all the Courts in Rome did during their Comitia.

When I see the Name Cœlia ..at the Bottom of a Scrawl, I conclude on course that it brings me some account of a fallen Virgin.

Set on easy ahead to get ship on course for buoy.

On course for Phoenix, the lonely Desert Peak appeared in the middle of the desert.

In our forward planning we must ensure that we are on course to reach the targets we believe to be important.

The Government is still on course for an estimated PSBR of £10,500m.

Underdog Bradford had looked on course for one of the great upsets as it led 26–12 following Paul's second try in the 53rd minute.

As the Prime Minister said, bovine TB is on course to become a billion-pound problem.

on (also upon) course ?1884– With for or an infinitive: (with reference to the movement of a vessel or an aircraft) following the intended route towards a specified…

Continued on course throughout the day.

When the airplane is ‘ on course ’, each wiper is on the middle of its pot and no signal is set up.

If the compass showed that the plane was on course afterwards, then the correct drift was in fact seven and a half degrees.

On October 1..numbers were down by 52,000. In other words we were exactly on course .

Over the months that followed, Eve battle with doubts about her ability to keep Mary on course .

Most of the time a large commercial jet is in the air, it is actually being flown on autopilot.., making adjustments to keep it on course .

on (also upon) course 1916– Of a vessel or an aircraft: (proceeding) in the direction set; following the intended route. In later use also figurative or in extended use: (esp…

Lasciar andar l'acqua alla china, ô alla valle , to let water go down wards, or into the valley, viz. to let nature take its course .

She [ sc. Queen Elizabeth I] ..by encouraging Trade, and leittng [sic] Nature take its Course , still encreas'd the Peoples Wealth and Power.

No time should be lost in lancing the gums immediately that any urgent symptoms arise,..otherwise it is best to let Nature take its course .

They'll let nature take its course if they don't feel keen on a man surviving.

What I object to..about the program is that it proceeds upon the theory..that it is perfectly alright to let nature take its course where the money lenders are concerned, but where everybody else is concerned it is not alright to let nature take its course , we are going to freeze their wages, freeze their price.

The park is burnt in blocks since this enables the ecologists to control the fire rather than allowing nature to take its course when there is a risk that the fires may get out of control.

Taking antidiarrhoeal products may interfere with your body's ability to fight the infection, so let nature take its course , unless your doctor recommends otherwise.

The course is S.W. to Pulo Sapata, but from having soundings on that bank, or being in its latitude, the best course to steer is S.W.½S. until in the parallel of Pulo Sapata; and if then it is not seen, steer S.W. by W.

This table..does not give the pilot a ready table of deviations to apply to magnetic courses to determine the courses to steer .

The friendly planes can make the interception at about 30..miles away. This can be done only if the air controller gives the friendly planes the correct course to steer .

With our typical 6-knot speed forward combined with the 2-knot stream current, Tom calculated we would be pushed northward by 30 miles. To compensate, he set our course to steer southward 20 degrees off line.

P.9. the course of true love never did run smooth : see true love n. Phrases P.1 . Cite

Pronunciation

ð th ee
ɬ rhingy ll

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence <petal> /ˈpɛtl/ but <petally> /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

a trap, bath
ɑː start, palm, bath
ɔː thought, force
ᵻ (/ɪ/-/ə/)
ᵿ (/ʊ/-/ə/)

Other symbols

The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here .

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in <bitter>

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence <petal> /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but <petally> /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

i fleece, happ y
æ trap, bath
ɑ lot, palm, cloth, thought
ɔ cloth, thought
ɔr north, force
ə strut, comm a
ər nurse, lett er
ɛ(ə)r square
æ̃ sal on

Simple Text Respell

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

arr carry (British only)
a(ng) gratin
o lot (British only)
orr sorry (British only)
o(ng) salon

Date of use

Variant forms.

Middle English corps , cors , corsee , coruse (transmission error) , cource , coures , coursee , coursse , cowrs , cowrsse , cowurs , curs , curse , kours , kowrs
Middle English–1500s coorse , cowrse
Middle English–1600s cours
Middle English–1700s corse
Middle English– course
1600s coarse
pre-1700 cors , cource , cours , coursse , covrs , cowrs , cowrse , cowrsse
pre-1700 ; 1700s– course

course is one of the 500 most common words in modern written English. It is similar in frequency to words like activity , class , human , rather , and student .

It typically occurs about 300 times per million words in modern written English.

course is in frequency band 7, which contains words occurring between 100 and 1,000 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency of course, n.¹ & adv.¹ , 1750–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole , n.¹, mole , n.², mole , n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Decade	Frequency per million words
1750	140
1760	160
1770	190
1780	210
1790	230
1800	230
1810	250
1820	270
1830	310
1840	310
1850	330
1860	330
1870	330
1880	330
1890	340
1900	350
1910	380
1920	380
1930	380
1940	380
1950	360
1960	350
1970	320
1980	290
1990	270
2000	270
2010	270

Frequency of course, n.¹ & adv.¹ , 2017–2023

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Period	Frequency per million words
Oct.–Dec. 2017	190
Jan.–Mar. 2018	210
Apr.–June 2018	210
July–Sept. 2018	220
Oct.–Dec. 2018	200
Jan.–Mar. 2019	220
Apr.–June 2019	220
July–Sept. 2019	220
Oct.–Dec. 2019	210
Jan.–Mar. 2020	200
Apr.–June 2020	210
July–Sept. 2020	210
Oct.–Dec. 2020	210
Jan.–Mar. 2021	210
Apr.–June 2021	210
July–Sept. 2021	210
Oct.–Dec. 2021	200
Jan.–Mar. 2022	200
Apr.–June 2022	210
July–Sept. 2022	210
Oct.–Dec. 2022	190
Jan.–Mar. 2023	200

Compounds & derived words

curstable , n. 1278 ‘A course of stones with mouldings cut on them to form a string course’ (Parker Gloss. 1850).
courser , n.² a1400– A person who uses dogs (esp. greyhounds or other sight hounds) to hunt game, esp. hare, for sport. Cf. course, v. 1.
coursely , adv. 1440–1513 In the ordinary course of nature, in due course; naturally, inevitably.
watercourse , n. a1450– A stream of water; a river, a brook; a canal. Also: an artificial channel for conveying water. Also occasionally figurative.
coursably , adv. 1483–1525 In a regular or habitual manner; according to a customary course or procedure.
course , v. c1500– intransitive. Of fluid, a current, etc.: to move smoothly and freely; to run; to flow. Frequently with through. Also figurative.
mid-course , n. & adj. a1522– The middle of a course taken by a person or thing.
fold-course , n. 1538– Land to which pertained the right of foldage; the right itself; hence, a sheepwalk.
coursing , n.¹ 1549 Perhaps: the activity of following one's natural course in life.
month courses , n. 1574 monthly menstrual discharge.
matter of course , n. & adj. 1577– Something which is to be expected as following the natural course or order of things. as a matter of course: naturally; without question, hesitation…
women's courses , n. 1577– = menses, n. Cf. course, n.¹ A.IV.23a.
middle course , n. 1579– = middle way, n. A.2a.
after-course , n. 1580– A later course in a meal; spec. the final course; a dessert. Frequently figurative.
counter-course , n. 1601–38 A course that runs counter to another or to the proper course.
out-course , n. a1603–21 A voyage or journey away from home; a hostile incursion.
bell-course , n. 1607 A race for a bell.
course-stone , n. 1610–65 One of a course or series of stones (cf. course, n.¹ A.IV.22a).
sea-course , n. 1615–
sheep's course , n. 1623 A sheep-walk.
cross-course , adj. 1632 Running athwart the straight course of things.
coursed , adj. 1654– Of game, esp. hare: chased by hunting dogs, esp. greyhounds. Chiefly literary and poetic.
by-course , n. 1655–
heading course , n. 1659– A row or course of headers (header, n. 5a).
blocking course , n. 1683– A slightly projecting plain course of brick or stone, typically at the base or top of a building, sometimes holding the cornice of a classical…
plinth course , n. 1693– A projecting line of blocks or bricks in a wall immediately above ground level, serving to guard against damp, provide extra defence, etc.
field course , n. 1696– †a. A right of way through a field or fields (obsolete rare); b. Agriculture a system of crop rotation suitable for a field; a crop used in such a…
acourse , adv.¹ 1697–1703 According to ordinary procedure or custom; as a matter of course. Cf. course, n.¹ A.III.14b.
key course , n. 1700– A course containing a keystone or consisting of keystones.
stretching-course , n. 1700– A course of bricks or stones laid with their length in the direction of the wall.
chequer-course , n. 1704– (See quot. 1704).
paddock course , n. 1705– A racecourse (cf. paddock, n.² 2).
side course , n. 1709–
horse-course , n. 1712– A place for horse races; a racecourse.
life-course , n. 1718–
course end , n. 1753– A sequence or row of bells marking the end of a course (cf. course, n.¹ A.V.27).
racecourse , n. 1764– Sport. A ground or track for racing horses or dogs; any other course on which a race is held; (also) the grounds or venue at which organized racing…
pilgrimage course , n. 1773–1864
river course , n. 1774–
rain-course , n. 1801–
cross-course , n. 1802– A vein or lode (usually barren) intersecting the regular vein or lode at an angle; also = cross-cut, n. 2a.
magnetic course , n. 1804– A course of navigation in relation to magnetic north.
mill-course , n. 1804– = mill-race, n.
six-course , adj. 1812–
golf course , n. 1813– A large piece of land laid out with a course on which golf is played, typically comprising a series of tees, fairways, bunkers and other hazards, and…
air course , n. 1814– A passage for ventilation in a mine; cf. airway, n. 1.
course clearer , n. 1820– A person who clears the course before or after a race.
training course , n. 1822– a. A racetrack or other course on which practice runs are made; b. a course of study designed to train people in a particular subject or for a…
string-course , n. 1825– (See quot. 1910).
courseless , adj. 1827– Without a definite route or course; lacking direction or purpose; aimless, wandering. (literal and figurative.)
holiday course , n. 1828– A series of classes, lessons, etc., held during a school or university vacation.
clerk of the course , n. 1829– An official on a race-course (see quots. 1920, 1952); also applied to a similar official in other sports.
belt course , n. 1830– A course or band of stone or brick slightly projecting or (less commonly) indented from the surface of a wall, or consisting of a different kind of…
chariot-course , n. 1832–
lacing course , n. 1833– A course (course, n.¹ A.IV.22a) built into an arch or wall in order to bond different parts together and give added strength.
dun courses , n. 1836– Beds of magnesian limestone, typically brown in colour.
quarter course , n. 1837– A quarter-mile racecourse.
torch-course , n. 1839– = torch-race, n.
four-field course , n. 1842– A series of crops grown in four fields in rotation.
four-course , n. 1846– A four years' course or series of crops in rotation (in quots. attributive; see course, n.¹ A.V.28).
language course , n. 1848–
boardway's course , n. 1851– ‘The direction perpendicular to the cleavage of the coal’ (Coal-trade Terms, Northld. & Durh., 1851).
compass course , n. 1851– A course steered by compass; spec. Nautical and Aeronautics, the line of direction indicated by the compass but not actually taken by a boat or…
half course , n. 1852– A direction within a seam at about 45 degrees to the course (course, n.¹ A.II.13b).
coursebook , n. 1854– A textbook designed for use in a particular course of study.
course correction , n. 1860– a. A change to the current course of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle to ensure that it is redirected towards the intended destination, esp. when it has…
stringing course , n. 1861– A string-course.
time course , n. a1867– a. The course followed by something over time; b. Nautical a course navigated in fog or similar conditions, in which the speed and the time spent…
course indicator , n. 1869– An instrument or device for determining the course of a vessel, an aircraft, etc.
undercourse , n. 1869–
main course , n.² 1870– Any of a number of substantial dishes in a large menu; the principal dish of a meal. Also figurative.
pudding course , n. 1871–
slack-course , n. 1875– (See quot. 1875).
damp-course , n. 1876– = damp-proof course, n.
damp-proof course , n. 1876– ‘A course of some impermeable material laid on the foundation walls of a building a short distance above the level of the outside soil, to prevent…
acourse , adv.² 1883– Of course, naturally.
shift course , n. 1883– An error in change ringing caused when two or more bells are rung out of sequence; cf. shift, n. V.20.
course dinner , n. 1884– A dinner consisting of several courses.
course record , n. 1886– The best officially recorded performance at a particular course in a competitive sport.
'course , adv.² 1887– Used to qualify a clause, statement, reply, etc., as to be expected or obvious; = of course at course, n.¹ & adv.¹phrases P.5.
lecture course , n. 1890–
coursework , n. 1892– Work performed during a course; spec. work that counts towards a student's final mark or grade, typically in addition to assessment by formal…
sweet course , n. 1892–
course credit , n. 1894– A unit of academic credit awarded upon successful completion of a course, a specified accumulation of which can be used to graduate, enrol in a…
putting course , n. 1897– = putting green, n. (b).
many-course , adj. 1900–
resort course , n. 1900– a. An area at a resort set aside for a particular activity, (now esp.) a golf course; b. a series of lessons offered at a resort.
correspondence course , n. 1902–
multi-course , adj. 1903– (Of a meal) comprising several courses.
ten-course , adj. 1903–
short course , n. 1904– (See quot.).
motor-course , n. 1909–
assault course , n. 1915– A course of training in assault; also assault practice.
course-setting sight , n. 1918– A sighting device which can be used to set an aircraft's course; esp. (more fully course-setting bomb sight) a kind of bomb sight; cf. sight, n.¹…
rehabilitation course , n. 1919–
pipe course , n. 1923– An easy course; cf. pipe, n.¹ III.25b.
snow course , n. 1933– A line along which the depth of snow is periodically sampled at fixed points.
linguistics course , n. 1934–
course load , n. 1937– The amount of coursework expected to be done by a person or group in a course; the workload involved in this.
survey course , n. 1941– An introductory academic course in which the significant features of a wide subject area are studied.
obstacle course , n. 1942– An area, used for military or similar training or for obstacle races, containing an assortment of obstacles to be negotiated; also in extended use.
retread course , n. 1943– A course at which a person is retrained; cf. retread, v.² 2.
collision course , n. 1944– A course that will end in collision; also figurative.
parachute course , n. 1946– A course of instruction in parachuting.
reciprocal course , n. 1946– A route precisely opposite to another one embarked upon, or otherwise specified.
soldier course , n. 1948– A course of bricks set on end with their narrower long face exposed.
crash course , n. 1949– An intensive, and usually brief, course of study intended to give instruction on the most salient points in a particular subject, discipline, etc…
off-the-course , n. 1951– Occurring away from a racecourse.
typing course , n. 1952–
sandwich course , n. 1955–
off-course , adj. 1960– Situated or taking place away from a racecourse (cf. off-the-course, n.).
survival course , n. 1961–
on-course , adj. 1964– Situated or taking place at a racecourse, golf course, etc.
bridging course , n. 1967– A short intensive learning programme designed to help students gain skills or knowledge needed for further or higher education (esp. students who…
courseware , n. 1973– Software or other computer programs designed for use as part of an educational or training course.
bird course , n. 1975– A university or high school course regarded as requiring little work or intellectual ability.
access course , n. 1979– An educational course enabling those without traditional qualifications to become eligible for higher education.
course pack , n. 1980– A set of supplementary materials for a course, series of lectures, etc., originally in the form of photocopied documents or other printed…
course correct , v. 1986– intransitive to make changes to a process based on new information in order to improve it, esp. while the process is taking place; (also transitive)…
Alpha course , n. 1993– A discussion-based introductory course in the Christian faith and its relevance to modern existence, associated with Evangelical Anglicanism.
massive open online course , n. 2008– An online distance learning course for which people can typically enrol free or for a small fee, without qualificatory requirements, and which is…
college course , n.

Entry history for course, n.¹ & adv.¹

course, n.¹ & adv.¹ was revised in December 2022.

course, n.¹ & adv.¹ was last modified in June 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into course, n.¹ & adv.¹ in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1893)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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Definition of coursework

Examples of coursework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coursework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1890, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near coursework

Cite this entry.

“Coursework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coursework. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

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[ kawrs -wurk , kohrs - ]

the work required of a student in a particular course of study; classroom work .
curricular studies or academic work .

/ ˈkɔːsˌwɜːk /

written or oral work completed by a student within a given period, which is assessed as an integral part of an educational course

Word History and Origins

Origin of coursework 1

Example Sentences

Derek Dodson is practicing with the Georgetown University soccer team for a rescheduled season while preparing for the resumption of senior coursework next week.

In San Diego, and throughout the state, an unconscionable number of students are failing or haven’t completed their coursework.

She took a full load of classes in the spring, summer and fall, and in November completed all the coursework for an undergraduate degree in psychology.

Pevzner, who took over the program in 2017, still heads into the field—though day to day he focuses more on developing coursework and swapping insights with similar programs around the world.

Although most schools have increased their offerings of online coursework, the number and sizes of in-person classes vary widely, as does the density of students in on-campus housing.

Digital art coursework at the Rhode Island School of Design simultaneous with an English Ph.D. at Yale?

Her pre-college education had been weak, and Leo was utterly unprepared for the academic part of the coursework.

An obsession with college preparation permeated all of our coursework.

The ad-hocs spent their time badmouthing the profs and tearing apart their coursework.

Coursework submissions

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Coursework submissions policy

Summative assessments which are submissions will take place in Inspera, which is also used to deliver Digital exams at Oxford.

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Guidance can be found below

Introduction to Inspera fundamentals video provides a quick overview of Inspera and the Self-Help tool.
Inspera demonstration videos are in the drop-down menu below. These cover key processes.
Online Coursework Submissions Administrator guide (V1.9) provides help and support for the processes and policies of coursework submissions in Inspera. It should be used in conjunction with the Self-Help tool inside Inspera
Creating a manual test in Inspera
Creating a candidate list for Inspera
Updating the deadlines calendar for coursework submission
Submission of coursework assessment page for students, with information provides essential guidance for students including a Quick Reference Guide (QRG) and practice videos. It is recommended that this link be added to any guidance regarding coursework submissions to Inspera.
Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) Status report guidance