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first course


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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
course /kɔrs/USA pronunciation   n., v., coursed/kɔrst/USA pronunciation  cours•ing. 
n. 
  1. a direction or route to be taken: [countable]Our course took us over the Grand Canyon.[uncountable]The flight was well off course.
  2. the path along which anything moves:[countable]the course of a stream.
  3. the continuous passage through time or a succession of stages:[countable* usually: singular]in the course of a year.
  4. area, etc., on which a game is played, a race is run or sailed, etc.:[countable]the downhill ski course.
  5. [countable* usually: singular] a particular manner of proceeding: planned a course of action.
  6. a normal manner of procedure:[countable]The disease ran its course.
  7. [countable] a planned or prescribed series: suggested a course of medical treatment for my painful back.
  8. Education a program of instruction, such as in a college;
    class or number of classes:[countable]I took three courses: reading, writing, and mathematics.
  9. Food a part of a meal served at one time:[countable]Dad's main course was always roast beef.

v. [no object]
  1. to run, race, or move swiftly:blood coursing through his veins.
Idioms
  1. Idioms in due course, [uncountable] in the proper order of events:You'll get your promotion in due course.
  2. Idioms of course, [uncountable]
    • certainly;
      definitely:"I don't know if I can do this on time.'' "Of course you can!''
    • in the usual order of things:The world would be a better place without him, but of course that's not possible.

See -cour-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
course  (kôrs, kōrs),USA pronunciation n., v., coursed, cours•ing. 
n. 
  1. a direction or route taken or to be taken.
  2. the path, route, or channel along which anything moves:the course of a stream.
  3. advance or progression in a particular direction;
    forward or onward movement.
  4. the continuous passage or progress through time or a succession of stages:in the course of a year; in the course of the battle.
  5. the track, ground, water, etc., on which a race is run, sailed, etc.:One runner fell halfway around the course.
  6. a particular manner of proceeding:a course of action.
  7. a customary manner of procedure;
    regular or natural order of events:as a matter of course; the course of a disease.
  8. a mode of conduct;
    behavior.
  9. a systematized or prescribed series:a course of lectures; a course of medical treatments.
  10. Educationa program of instruction, as in a college or university:a course in economics.
  11. Educationa prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.
  12. Fooda part of a meal served at one time:The main course was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and peas.
  13. Naval Terms
    • , Nautical, Naval Termsthe line along the earth's surface upon or over which a vessel, an aircraft, etc., proceeds: described by its bearing with relation to true or magnetic north.
    • , Nautical, Naval Termsa point of the compass.
  14. Naval Terms, Nautical[Naut.]the lowermost sail on a fully square-rigged mast: designated by a special name, as foresail or mainsail, or by the designation of the mast itself, as fore course or main course. See diag. under ship. 
  15. Buildinga continuous and usually horizontal range of bricks, shingles, etc., as in a wall or roof.
  16. Music and Danceone of the pairs of strings on an instrument of the lute family, tuned in unison or in octaves to increase the volume.
  17. Clothingthe row of stitches going across from side to side in knitting and other needlework (opposed to wale).
  18. Often, courses. the menses.
  19. a charge by knights in a tournament.
  20. a pursuit of game with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
  21. SportSee golf course. 
  22. Sporta race.
  23. Idioms in due course, in the proper or natural order of events;
    eventually:They will get their comeuppance in due course.
  24. Idioms of course:
    • certainly;
      definitely:Of course I'll come to the party.
    • in the usual or natural order of things:Extra services are charged for, of course.

v.t. 
  1. to run through or over.
  2. to chase;
    pursue.
  3. Sportto hunt (game) with dogs by sight rather than by scent.
  4. Sportto cause (dogs) to pursue game by sight rather than by scent.
  5. Building[Masonry.]to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) in courses.

v.i. 
  1. to follow a course;
    direct one's course.
  2. to run, race, or move swiftly:The blood of ancient emperors courses through his veins.
  3. Sportto take part in a hunt with hounds, a tilting match, etc.
  • Latin cursus a running, course, equivalent. to cur(rere) to run + -sus, variant of -tus suffix of verb, verbal action
  • Anglo-French co(u)rs(e), Old French cours
  • Middle English co(u)rs (noun, nominal) 1250–1300
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged way, road, track, passage.
    • 2, 13.See corresponding entry in Unabridged a. bearing.
    • 6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged method, mode.
    • 7.See corresponding entry in Unabridged process, career.
    • 15.See corresponding entry in Unabridged row, layer.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
course / kɔːs/
  1. a continuous progression from one point to the next in time or space; onward movement
  2. a route or direction followed
  3. the path or channel along which something moves: the course of a river
  4. an area or stretch of land or water on which a sport is played or a race is run: a golf course
  5. a period of time; duration: in the course of the next hour
  6. the usual order of and time required for a sequence of events; regular procedure: the illness ran its course
  7. a mode of conduct or action: if you follow that course, you will certainly fail
  8. a connected series of events, actions, etc
  9. a prescribed number of lessons, lectures, etc, in an educational curriculum
  10. the material covered in such a curriculum
  11. a prescribed regimen to be followed for a specific period of time: a course of treatment
  12. a part of a meal served at one time
  13. a continuous, usually horizontal, layer of building material, such as a row of bricks, tiles, etc
  14. as a matter of course ⇒ as a natural or normal consequence, mode of action, or event
  15. the course of nature ⇒ the ordinary course of events
  16. in course of ⇒ in the process of
  17. in due course ⇒ at some future time, esp the natural or appropriate time
  18. of course ⇒ (adverb) as expected; naturally
  19. (sentence substitute) certainly; definitely
  1. (intransitive) to run, race, or flow, esp swiftly and without interruption
  2. to cause (hounds) to hunt by sight rather than scent or (of hounds) to hunt (a quarry) thus
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French cours, from Latin cursus a running, from currere to run
'first course' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
hors d'oeuvre - starter

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