course
[noun]
Synonyms:
- classes, curriculum, lectures, programme, schedule
- progression, development, flow, movement, order, progress, sequence, unfolding
- route, direction, line, passage, path, road, track, trajectory, way
- racecourse, cinder track, circuit
- procedure, behaviour, conduct, manner, method, mode, plan, policy, programme
- period, duration, lapse, passage, passing, sweep, term, time
- of course: naturally, certainly, definitely, indubitably, needless to say, obviously, undoubtedly, without a doubt
[verb]
Synonyms:
- run, flow, gush, race, speed, stream, surge
- hunt, chase, follow, pursue

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Related Idioms: course of action, step on the gas, stir one's stumps
Related Words: circuit, orbit, range, scope, design, pattern, plan, platform, scheme, manner, system, way, hasten, hurry, hustle, dart, dash, scamper, scoot, scurry, run, sprint

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English Thesaurus: breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. course¹ S1 W1 /kɔːs $ kɔːrs/ noun

1. of course
a) used to show that what you are saying is expected or already known and so not surprising:
You can pay by cheque, assuming of course you have a valid cheque card.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule.
b) (also course informal) spoken used to say yes or to give permission politely:
‘Can I have a word with you?’ ‘Of course.’
‘Can you give me a lift?’ ‘Course, no problem.’
c) (also course informal) spoken used to emphasize that what you are saying is true or correct:
Of course he’ll come!
well/but of course
Well of course I love you.

2. of course not (also course not informal) spoken used to say very strongly that something is not true or correct:
He asked his father if it was true. ‘Of course not,’ Jack said.
‘You don’t mind if I call her?’ ‘No, course not.’

3. EDUCATION [countable]
a) a series of lessons in a particular subject Synonym : class American English:
Andy’s doing a one-year journalism course.
course on/in
a course on architecture
I’m taking a course in graphic design.
b) British English a period of study in a particular subject, especially at university Synonym : program American English:
a degree course in photography
► Course is never followed by ‘of’. Do not say ‘a course of Business Studies’. Say ‘a course in Business Studies’.

4. TIME [singular] a period of time or process during which something happens
during/in/throughout/over the course of something
During the course of our conversation, it emerged that Bob had been in prison.
Over the course of the next few years, the steel industry was reorganized.
in the course of doing something
In the course of researching customer needs, we discovered how few families have adequate life insurance.

5. DEVELOPMENT [singular] the usual or natural way that something changes, develops, or is done
course of
forces that shape the course of evolution
Meeting Sally changed the whole course of his life.
in the normal/natural/ordinary course of events
In the normal course of events, a son would inherit from his father.
take/run its course (=develop in the usual way and reach a natural end)
Relax and let nature take its course.
It seems the boom in World Music has run its course.
Gorbachev changed the course of Soviet history.

6. PLANS [singular, uncountable] the general plans someone has to achieve something or the general way something is happening:
They will go to any lengths to get the White House to change course.
He will steer a middle course between pacifism and revolution.
As long as the economy stays on course, the future looks rosy.

7. ACTIONS [countable usually singular] an action or series of actions that you could take in order to deal with a particular situation:
I agreed that this was the only sensible course of action.
take/decide on a course
The judge took the only course of action open to him.

8. DIRECTION [countable usually singular, uncountable] the planned direction taken by a boat or plane to reach a place:
The plane changed course to avoid the storm.
on/off course (=going in the right or wrong direction)
The ship was blown off course.
The aircraft was almost ten miles off course.
She tightened the mainsail while holding the course (=travelling in the same direction as planned).

9. on course likely to achieve something because you have already had some success
on course for
If he wins today, he’s on course for the Grand Slam.
on course to do something
We’re back on course to qualify for the championship.

10. MEAL [countable] one of the separate parts of a meal
three-course/five-course etc meal
The ticket includes entry and a four-course meal.
first/second/main etc course
We had fish for the main course.

11. SPORT [countable] an area of land or water where races are held, or an area of land designed for playing golf:
a particularly difficult course
an 18-hole course ⇒ assault course, obstacle course(1)

12. MEDICAL TREATMENT [countable] especially British English an amount of medicine or medical treatment that you have regularly for a specific period of time
course of injections/drugs/treatment etc
a course of antibiotics

13. in (the) course of time after some or enough time has passed Synonym : eventually:
She’ll get used to school in the course of time.

14. RIVER [countable] the direction a river moves in:
The course of the water was shown by a line of trees.

15. WALL [countable] a layer of bricks, stone etc in a wall:
a damp-proof course
⇒ as a matter of course at matter¹(20), ⇒ par for the course at par(3), ⇒ stay the course at stay¹(7), ⇒ in due course at due¹(4)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. course² verb

1. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literary if a liquid or electricity courses somewhere, it flows there quickly:
Tears coursed down his cheeks.

2. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literary if a feeling courses through you, you feel it suddenly and strongly:
His smile sent waves of excitement coursing through her.

3. [intransitive and transitive] to chase rabbits with dogs as a sport

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

course
noun
I. complete series of lessons/studies
ADJ. full-time, part-time | one-year, two-year, etc. | day, evening | crash, intensive | advanced, intermediate, etc. | foundation, introductory | refresher | academic | graduate, postgraduate, undergraduate | degree, diploma, honours a joint honours course in French and Russian
correspondence, external, sandwich | induction | training, vocational
VERB + COURSE do, take He took a crash course in Italian.
enrol on, join, sign up for | withdraw from She withdrew from the course because of illness.
teach | offer, run The school runs courses all year round.
complete It took him five years to complete the course.
pass | fail
COURSE + VERB run The course runs from 10?15 May.
PREP. ~ in a course in applied linguistics
~ on a course on the development of capitalism

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
II. route/direction
VERB + COURSE alter, change The boat altered course during the storm.
chart, plot, set We set course for Malta.
be blown off | follow The path follows the course of the river.
PREP. off ~ We're a long way off course
on ~ We're on course for our destination.
PHRASES on a collision course The two planes were on a collision course.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
III. (also
course of action)
ADJ. best, better
VERB + COURSE adopt, follow, pursue, take It was the best course of action to take in the circumstances.
COURSE + VERB be open to sb It was the only course open to him.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
IV. development of sth over a period of time
VERB + COURSE change an event that changed the course of his life
follow, run, take Her career followed a similar course to her sister's. We could do nothing but let the disease run its course.
PREP. during the ~ of during the course of the war
in the ~ of In the course of time, I began to understand.
PHRASES the course of history This was an event that changed the course of history.
in due course (= at the appropriate time; eventually), in the normal/ordinary course of events In the normal course of events, you should get a reply by Monday.
let nature take its course When the dog responded so badly to the treatment, we decided to let nature take its course (= stop treating it and let it die naturally).

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
V. part of a meal
ADJ. main | first, second, etc.
PREP. for a/the ~ We had chicken for our main course.
PHRASES a two-/three-course, etc. meal

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
VI. in sport/a race
ADJ. golf, obstacle, race
VERB + COURSE complete Only ten yachts completed the course.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
VII. series of medical treatments
VERB + COURSE give sb, put sb on She's been put on a course of injections.
prescribe (sb) | take
PREP. ~ of a course of antibiotics

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course

take a course (also do a course British English)
I decided to do a course in Italian.
go on a course British English
My company wanted me to go on a course in management skills.
pass/fail a course
If you pass the course, you get a diploma in psychology.
apply for a course
The following year she applied for a nursing course.
enrol on a course/put your name down for a course British English (=to arrange to officially join a course)
How about enrolling on a sailing course?
attend a course formal (=take part in a course)
You’ll have to attend a course on how to deal with customers on the phone.
withdraw from a course/drop out of a course (=leave it without finishing it)
She had to withdraw from the course because of illness.
teach a course
She is teaching an introductory course in Russian.
run a course
The course is run by the British Council.
offer a course
The course is offered on a part-time basis.
change (your) course (=at university or college)
Some students choose to change their course after the first year.
a language/art/design etc course
The school runs ten-week language courses three times a year.
a full-time/part-time course
There are also part-time courses for mature students.
an elementary/intermediate/advanced course
an advanced course in art and design
a one-year/two-year etc course
She did a one-year teacher training course.
a short course
I did a short course on website design.
an intensive course (=in which you learn a lot in a short time)
An intensive course in Russian is provided for those who do not already know the language.
a crash course informal (=in which you learn a great deal in a very short time)
A husband was given a crash course in how to deliver a baby by a midwife on the phone.
a training course
If you are offered the job, you will attend a two-week training course.
a vocational course (=that trains you to do a particular job)
a vocational course in architecture
a college/university course
students who fail their college courses
a degree course British English (also an undergraduate course) (=a first course at a university, which usually lasts three years)
a three-year degree course
a postgraduate course British English (=one you do after your first degree course)
a correspondence course (=in which you work at home, sending work to a teacher by post)
an introductory course (=for people who have never done a particular subject or activity before)
an induction course (=that you do when you start a new job or position)
a refresher course (=short and intended to teach you about new developments in a subject)
a foundation course British English (=a general course that students do in the first year at some universities)
a sandwich course British English (=that includes periods of work in industry or business)
a tailor-made course (=one that is specially designed for someone)
a tailor-made course to help senior staff develop their negotiation skills
a course tutor BrE:
I discussed it with my course tutor.
course material
Teachers are provided with course material.
the course syllabus (=the plan of what is taught on a course)
The school has recently introduced a new course syllabus.
something takes a course (=develops in a particular way)
He felt that events were taking the wrong course.
something takes/runs its course (=develops in the usual or natural way)
There was nothing we could do except watch the illness run its course.
change/alter the course of something
The incident changed the course of the election.
influence/shape the course of something
The result of this battle influenced the whole course of the war.
determine/decide the course of something
Don’t let chance decide the course of your career.
in the normal/ordinary course of something
His bravery was far more than was required in the normal course of duty.
the course of history/sb’s life etc
Changing conditions shape the course of evolution.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

course
noun
1.
BAD: I'm taking an intermediate course of English.
GOOD: I'm taking an intermediate course in English.

Usage Note:
a course in/on sth (NOT of ): 'I've been attending an evening course in business studies.' 'I'm interested in doing a correspondence course in English and Maths.' 'There is also a two-day course on new technology for teachers.'

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2.
BAD: The boys and girls in my English course come from all over the world.
GOOD: The boys and girls on my English course come from all over the world.

Usage Note:
In British English you say that someone is on a course : 'Some of the people on the course came to a few classes and then dropped out.'
Note that in a course is used in American English.

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3.
DUBIOUS: We'll probably go to the cinema or to a discotheque. Of course, since Fiona is my guest, I'll let her decide.
GOOD: We'll probably go to the cinema or to a discotheque. Naturally, since Fiona is my guest, I'll let her decide.
DUBIOUS: The construction of a new motorway is totally unnecessary and of course the local residents are completely against the idea.
GOOD: The construction of a new motorway is totally unnecessary and, as one would expect, the local residents are completely against the idea.

Usage Note:
Of course is generally over-used. Common words and phrases that may be used as alternatives include: naturally, obviously, clearly, certainly, evidently, predictably, as you/one would expect, as is to be expected, as you know, it is clear/obvious that.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables:
I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert:
a three-course meal
bake to cook things such as bread or cakes in an oven:
Tom baked a cake for my birthday.
roast to cook meat or vegetables in an oven:
Roast the potatoes for an hour.
fry to cook food in hot oil:
She was frying some mushrooms.
stir-fry to fry small pieces of food while moving them around continuously:
stir-fried tofu and bean sprouts
sauté /ˈsəʊteɪ $ soʊˈteɪ/ to fry vegetables for a short time in a small amount of butter or oil:
Sauté the potatoes in butter.
grill to cook food over or under strong heat:
grilled fish
broil American English to cook food under heat:
broiled fish
boil to cook something in very hot water:
He doesn’t even know how to boil an egg.
English people seem to love boiled vegetables.
steam to cook vegetables over hot water:
Steam the rice for 15 minutes.
poach to cook food, especially fish or eggs, slowly in hot water:
poached salmon
toast to cook the outside surfaces of bread:
toasted muffins
microwave to cook food in a microwave oven:
The beans can be microwaved.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables:
I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert:
a three-course meal
hors d'oeuvre (also starter British English, appetizer American English) the small first part of a meal:
a tempting plate of hors d'oeuvres including olives and small pieces of roast beetroot
main course (also entrée especially American English) the main part of a meal. entrée is used especially on restaurant menus:
For the main course we had cheese and onion pie.
The menu includes a few hot entrées.
dessert (also pudding British English or sweet British English) sweet food eaten at the end of a meal:
What do you want for dessert?
They serve a wide range of desserts, including ice cream and home-made apple pie.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

course
kɔ:s
See: in due course , matter of course , of course , par for the course

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲