couple

¹cou·ple

noun \ˈkə-pəl; “couple of” is often ˌkə-plə(v)\

Definition of COUPLE

1

a : two persons married, engaged, or otherwise romantically paired

b : two persons paired together

2

: pair, brace

3

: something that joins or links two things together: as

a : two equal and opposite forces that act along parallel lines

b : a pair of substances that in contact with an electrolyte participate in a transfer of electrons which causes an electric current to flow

4

: an indefinite small number : few <a couple of days ago>

— cou·ple·dom \-dəm\ noun

Examples of COUPLE

1. “Are they a couple?” “No, they are just good friends.”
2. Seventeen couples participated in the survey.

Origin of COUPLE

Middle English, pair, bond, from Anglo-French cuple, from Latin copula bond, from co- + apere to fasten — more at apt

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to COUPLE

Synonyms

few, handful, scatter, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling

Antonyms

army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion

Related Words

minority; atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit

Near Antonyms

majority, most; abundance, excess, plenty, surplus; deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, plenty, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

Rhymes with COUPLE

supple

²cou·ple

verb \ˈkə-pəl\

cou·pledcou·pling \-p(ə-)liŋ\

Definition of COUPLE

transitive verb

1

a : to connect for consideration together

b : to join for combined effect

2

a : to fasten together : link

b : to bring (two electric circuits) into such close proximity as to permit mutual influence

3

: to join in marriage or sexual union

intransitive verb

1

: to unite in sexual union

2

: join

3

: to unite chemically

Examples of COUPLE

1. a device that makes it possible to couple the pieces
2. The coils are loosely coupled.
3. The wire is coupled to the terminal.
4. It took an hour to couple the trailer to the truck.

First Known Use of COUPLE

13th century

Related to COUPLE

Synonyms

associate, coalesce, combine, conjoin, conjugate, connect, unite, fuse, interfuse, join, link (up), marry, unify

Antonyms

break up, dissever, part, section, separate, sever, split, sunder, unlink

Related Words

mate, yoke; ally, confederate, league; chain, compound, hitch, hook, splice; assemble, cluster, congregate, constellate, convene, gather, meet; recombine, reconnect, rejoin, reunify, reunite

Near Antonyms

detach, disaffiliate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, fractionate, isolate, resolve, uncouple, unyoke; disband, disperse, scatter

³couple

adjective

Definition of COUPLE

: two; also : few —used with a <a couple drinks>

Usage Discussion of COUPLE

The adjective use of a couple, without of, has been called nonstandard, but it is not. In both British and American English it is standard before a word (as more or less) indicating degree <a couple more examples of Middle English writing — Charles Barber>. Its use before an ordinary plural noun is an Americanism, common in speech and in writing that is not meant to be formal or elevated <the first couple chapters are pretty good — E. B. White (letter)> <still operated a couple wagons for hire — Garrison Keillor>. It is most frequently used with periods of time <a couple weeks> and numbers <a couple hundred> <a couple dozen>.

First Known Use of COUPLE

1924

Rhymes with COUPLE

supple

couple

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In physics, a pair of equal parallel forces that are opposite in direction. Couples produce or prevent the turning of a body. The forces used to turn the steering wheel of a car constitute a couple; each hand exerts a force, parallel but opposite in direction, yet they work together to achieve the same goal. A couple is also used to turn a screwdriver or a doorknob, and the pair of forces acting on the opposite poles of a compass needle as it points somewhere between north and south are a couple.