coach

play

noun, often attributive \ ˈkōch \

Definition of coach

1 a :a large usually closed four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage having doors in the sides and an elevated seat in front for the driver

On special occasions the queen rides in a gold coach.

b :a railroad passenger car intended primarily for day travel

Smoking is not permitted in the train's coaches.

c :bus 1a

toured the city by coach

d :trailer 1b

e :a 2-door enclosed automobile

f :a class of passenger air transportation at a lower fare than first class

We reserved two seats in coach.

[from the concept that the tutor conveys the student through examinations]

a :a private tutor

hired a coach to help her daughter prepare for the test

b :one who instructs or trains

an acting coach

a birth coach

; especially :one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a sport and directs team strategy

a football coach

a pitching coach

a gymnastics coach

See coach defined for English-language learners

See coach defined for kids

Examples of coach in a Sentence

a track star who has been working with a new coach
In those days, people usually traveled long distances in coaches.

Recent Examples of coach from the Web

And the University of Houston men’s basketball coach put out a call for clothing and shoes that was echoed by the baseball team.

— holly epstein ojalvo, USA TODAY College, "The ways colleges are helping with Harvey relief will inspire you," 30 Aug. 2017
Another round of public voting begins at noon Oct. 12 an runs for a month, with the winning coach named Nov. 20.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "U.S. Cellular seeking nominations for 'Most Valuable Coach' program," 30 Aug. 2017
But Aurora went on to finish 6-4 overall and tie for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference title in its third season under coach Rick Ponx.

— rick armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "Quarterback Geron Rogers, Aurora University have playoffs in mind," 30 Aug. 2017
Harbaugh's not the first college coach to jump into the world of podcasting, though.

— nick baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh is starting his own podcast," 29 Aug. 2017
Fountain Valley High girls’ tennis coach Harshul Patel spoke glowingly about the work that had been put in by his team leading up to Tuesday’s season opener.

— andrew turner, Daily Pilot, "Mater Dei doubles up Fountain Valley in girls’ tennis season opener," 29 Aug. 2017
Facilitators are Michelle Wyman, LSW, CDP, life enrichment coach with Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, and Elaine Reid, CDP, director of client services with Companions for Living.

— Courant Community, "Community News for the West Hartford Edition," 29 Aug. 2017
In addition to his parents, several former teammates and coaches from Virginia made the trip into the city.

— scott cacciola, New York Times, "J.C. Aragone Tried Tennis Again, and Landed in the U.S. Open," 28 Aug. 2017
Conference coaches in a preseason poll released Monday picked the Seawolves men's and women's teams to win conference crowns.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "GNAC cross country coaches rate Seawolves a continuing force," 28 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of coach

Origin and Etymology of coach

Middle English coche, from Medieval French, from German Kutsche, from Hungarian kocsi (szekér), literally, wagon from Kocs, Hungary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1556

See Words from the same year

coach Synonyms

Synonyms

trainer

Related Words

handler, manager; instructor, teacher, tutor; driller, drillmaster; adviser (also advisor), cicerone, counselor (or counsellor), guide, mentor

Other Railroad Terms

cowcatcher, cupola, gauge, vestibule, yard

coach

verb

Definition of coach

intransitive verb

1 :to go in a coach

2 :to instruct, direct, or prompt as a coach

When an injury ended his playing career, he decided to coach.

transitive verb

1 :to train intensively (as by instruction and demonstration)

coach pupils

The lawyer coached the witness.

2 :to act as coach of

coach tennis

coach a team

—

coachable

play \ˈkō-chə-bəl\ adjective

—

coacher

noun

See coach defined for English-language learners

Examples of coach in a Sentence

He coaches the tennis star.
He has coached the team for several years.
She coached the U.S. gymnastics team at the Olympics.
He has coached at the college level for many years.
The lawyer admitted to coaching the witness.
It was clear that the witness had been coached by her lawyer on how to answer the questions.

Recent Examples of coach from the Web

At first, the rule required NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate to fill head coaching vacancies.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Samsung’s CEO Eyes Jail Time; Dara Khosrowshahi’s Agenda at Uber," 31 Aug. 2017
Clement was a part of Ancelotti's coaching staff in Bavaria before taking the role as Swansea coach.

— SI.com, "Report: Renato Sanches Close to Completing Shock Loan Move to Swansea City," 30 Aug. 2017
His first head coaching job was at his alma mater, Hillside High School, in 1962.

— tim reynolds, chicagotribune.com, "Rollie Massimino, who led Villanova to 1985 NCAA title, dies," 30 Aug. 2017
LSU kicker Jack Gonsoulin beat out Connor Culp for the starting job, Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said at his weekly press conference Monday afternoon.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "LSU football countdown Day 4: Jimbo Fisher's debut as LSU's OC is hard to top," 29 Aug. 2017
Back then, the Lightning were still coached by A.G. Longoria and played their home matches at The Tennis Club Newport Beach.

— matt szabo, Daily Pilot, "Lightning edge Santa Margarita in season opener," 29 Aug. 2017
But his teachers used technology to identify his weak spots, customize a learning plan just for him and coach him through it.

— maria danilova, Detroit Free Press, "Can computers enhance the work of teachers?," 28 Aug. 2017
Tommy in particular was a standout athlete at New Castle High School, where his father coached.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Wherever Tom Allen goes, improvement follows — here's why," 28 Aug. 2017
The new offensive coordinator is David Yost, who was the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Oregon in 2016.

— jeff potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW's opponent at a glance: Utah State," 27 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of coach

see ¹coach

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1630

See Words from the same year

coach Synonyms

Synonyms

guide, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor

Related Words

godfather; direct, engineer, steer, sway; accompany, attend, chaperone (or chaperon), convoy, escort, see, squire; oversee, superintend, supervise; drill, train; brief, enlighten, inform; instruct, school, teach, tutor; inculcate, indoctrinate; cultivate, foster, nurture

COACH Defined for English Language Learners

coach

play

noun

Definition of coach for English Language Learners

: a person who teaches and trains an athlete or performer
: a person who teaches and trains the members of a sports team and makes decisions about how the team plays during games
: a private teacher who gives someone lessons in a particular subject