education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
"he took a course in basket weaving"
"flirting is not unknown in college classes"
a mode of action
"if you persist in that course you will surely fail"
"once a nation is embarked on a course of action it becomes extremely difficult for any retraction to take place"
facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport
"the course had only nine holes"
"the course was less than a mile"
A sequence of events.
"Given the heavy traffic and sudden rainstorm, we are no longer sure what course our journey will take today."
A normal or customary sequence.
"After the initial shock, it became clear that recovery would follow its usual course over the next few weeks."
In plain English: A course is a planned series of lessons or classes taken to learn a specific subject.
"The soup was served as the first course of the meal."
Usage: Use "course" to refer to the natural progression or order in which events happen, such as noting that time moves forward in its own course. Avoid using it for a specific class unless you are specifically referring to an academic program.
To run or flow (especially of liquids and more particularly blood).
"The doctor warned that if he didn't take his medicine, the infection might course through his bloodstream rapidly."
In plain English: To course means to move quickly and smoothly through a space, often following a winding path.
"The medicine will take a few days to course through your system."
Usage: Use "course" as a verb to describe liquid flowing rapidly or blood moving through vessels, often implying a swift or turbulent motion. Avoid using it for general movement unless you specifically mean the fluid dynamics of running water or bodily fluids.
Alternative form of of course
"I will not be attending the meeting, as I am out of town and it is simply impossible for me to come in person."
In plain English: To go straight ahead without stopping to look around.
"Please wait for me; I cannot leave before you have finished your meal, course after course."
Usage: Use "course" only when you are intentionally using it as a stylistic alternative to "of course," typically in informal writing or speech. In standard usage, do not substitute "course" for the full phrase unless the specific context demands that variation.
The word course comes from the Latin verb currō, meaning "to run." It traveled into English via Old French to describe a path or direction of movement.