coach

noun, often attributive \ ˈkōch \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

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

McGwire, now a hitting coach with San Diego, also said everyone on the Marlins roster will need to take PEDs if the team is going to hit 70 home runs this season.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tebow has no NFL cheerleading future," 14 Apr. 2018
The closest team to Danbury, the Frostbite played in Glens Falls, New York, just three hours away by luxury coach.

— rich cohen, The Atlantic, "The Mobster Who Bought His Son a Hockey Team," 14 Apr. 2018
This year's Hall of Fame Class includes cross-country skier Holly Brooks and volleyball coach Virgil Hooe, who will be inducted as individuals.

— Anchorage Daily News, "World-class skier, multi-sport star claim inaugural Hall of Fame youth awards," 12 Apr. 2018
There is Euphebe, which offers freezer-friendly prepared meals and a food coach for 28 days, and Daily Harvest has a new focus on frozen smoothies, soups, and sundaes.

— kate branch, Vogue, "A Guide to Going Vegan Like Beyoncé," 11 Apr. 2018
The day before the game, head coach Lloyd Eaton threw them off the team and revoked their athletic scholarships.

— salamishah tillet, The Hollywood Reporter, "Director Darius Monroe Talks New Doc 'Black 14' and the Forgotten College Football Protest From 1960s," 9 Apr. 2018
Involved youths, coaches, and parents say there's an enormous difference between someone bent on violence and school gun clubs that focus on safety and teach skills that make navigating life's hardships easier.

— lisa marie pane, The Christian Science Monitor, "Members of school gun teams say learned skills include patience and discipline," 9 Apr. 2018
Weiss was a student at Manhattan’s Chapin prep school during Capriati’s rise, playing tennis and taking private lessons from Gary Wilensky, a popular girls’ coach on the prep-school circuit.

— jane borden, Vanities, "An Attempted Kidnapping, an Elite Manhattan Prep School, and the Evocative New Memoir That Connects Them," 9 Apr. 2018
Training for the voyage One day last week, Dawson and her coach, Conal Groom of the Seattle Rowing Center, carried a one-person shell out onto the water east of the Ballard Bridge.

— katherine long, The Seattle Times, "Former UW Husky to row across Pacific Ocean for environmental awareness," 7 Apr. 2018

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), 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

Mack talks about Luke Murray, Mike Pegues and Dino Guadio joining the Louisville basketball coaching staff.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville basketball is once again recruiting 2018 guard Courtney Ramey," 16 Apr. 2018
Nick is a first-year member of the Spurs’ coaching staff, a video assistant.

— scott ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Can Spurs trust Steve Kerr’s son?," 14 Apr. 2018
The walkout hasn't stopped them from showing up for practices and coaching the more than 1,000 kids on 50 teams.

— NBC News, "On ninth day, what Oklahoma teacher walkout means for students," 12 Apr. 2018
Bill’s basketball nuggets focus on OSU looking for a grad transfer or two, open schedule dates and the coaching staff staying together.

— tim bielik, cleveland.com, "Why Ole Miss objected to Shea Patterson's request to play right away at Michigan: Buckeye Breakfast," 11 Apr. 2018
Raymond coached from the fall of 1994 through the fall of 2018.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 Apr. 2018
But there is a fourth in Guardiola’s permanent entourage whose duties are tougher to describe, the one person on the coaching staff besides him who gets to wear a suit on game days.

— joshua robinson, WSJ, "Meet Pep Guardiola’s Right-Hand Man: A Retired Water Polo Star," 4 Apr. 2018
Lauwers will coach the West region boys team and Hebert-Truax the West region girls in Wednesday games that will air live on ESPN.

— matt nevala, Anchorage Daily News, "Road to redemption leads Wasilla Warriors to 4A boys championship," 25 Mar. 2018
Ryan’s stepdad had coached Chelsea’s softball team.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Use and Abuse," 19 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of coach

see ¹coach

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1630

See Words from the same year

coach Synonyms

Synonyms

counsel, guide, 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;

Phrases

walk through;

COACH Defined for English Language Learners

coach

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