Course | Mean of course in English Dictionary

/ˈkoɚs/

• Noun
• the path or direction that something or someone moves along
1. the course of a river
2. a ship's course
3. The pilot brought the plane back on course.
4. The ship was blown off course by a storm.
5. This win puts the team back on course for the championship.
6. The book is generally well written but it occasionally veers off course. [=it has some parts that do not seem to be about what the rest of the book is about]
7. a battle that altered/changed the course of history [=that changed the way things happened in the years that followed]
• a path or route that runners, skiers, bikers, etc., move along especially in a race
1. a cross-country/marathon/ski course
• a series of classes about a particular subject in a school
1. an introductory/training course
2. I'm taking a few writing courses [=classes] at the university.
3. She's taking a chemistry course this semester.
4. course materials
5. course work/requirements
6. I have a light/full course load this semester. [=I am taking few/many classes this semester]

• a group of classes that lead to a degree (sense 5)
1. (chiefly Brit) She's beginning a four-year course in chemistry. [=(US) a four-year chemistry program]
2. Students earn the degree after a two-year course of study.
• the normal or regular way that something happens over time
1. There is no cure, but the treatment will slow the course of the disease.
2. It's something you would never see in the normal/ordinary course of events. [=if things were happening as they usually happen]
3. payments made in the usual/normal/ordinary course of business [=as part of doing regular business]
4. The disease usually runs its course in a few days. [=develops in the usual way; begins, gets worse, and ends]
• a way of behaving or proceeding that you choose
1. Our wisest course is to retreat.
2. We're trying to determine the best course of action [=the best actions; the best things to do] at this point.
• a series of medicines or medical treatments that are given to someone over a period of time
1. a new course of medication
2. The doctor prescribed a 10-day course of antibiotics.
3. a short/intensive course of therapy
• a part of a meal that is served separately from other parts
1. We had salad for the first course.
2. You can choose what you want for the main course.
3. A different wine was served with each course.
4. a five-course dinner [=a dinner served in five separate parts]
• after a normal amount of time has passed
1. His discoveries led, in due course, to new forms of treatment.
2. The reasons will become apparent in due course. [=eventually]
• Verb
• to move or flow quickly
1. the blood coursing through my veins
2. Tears were coursing down his cheeks.