course

1 a way of acting or proceeding the president's usual course has been to obtain advice from several people and then make up his own mind Synonyms line, methodology, policy, procedure, program Related Words blueprint, design, plan, scheme, strategy; intent, intention, purpose; approach, direction, method, path, pathway, tack

2 a series of lectures on a subject a course on American history from the colonial period to the present Synonyms class Related Words elective, refresher; clinic, institute, seminar, survey course; minicourse; core, curriculum Phrases course of study

3 a usually fixed or ordered series of actions or events leading to a result set out on the course that would lead to a college degree Synonyms process, operation, procedure, proceedingRelated Words drill, routine; fashion, form, manner, method, mode, style, system, technique, way; approach, arrangement, blueprint, design, formula, game plan, ground plan, layout, plan, plot, program, project, recipe, scheme, strategy; accomplishment, achievement, attainment, enterprise, performance, undertaking, work; activity, functioning, movement

4 the direction along which something or someone moves the river follows a southeasterly course to the ocean Synonyms path, line, pathway, route, routeway [chiefly British], steps, track, wayRelated Words circle, circuit, loop, orbit; arc, flight path, trajectory; ascent, descent

5 an open man-made passageway for water the Erie Canal was replaced by a much larger course, the New York State Barge Canal Synonyms aqueduct, canal, conduit, channel, flume, racecourse, raceway, watercourse, waterwayRelated Words millrace, millstream; floodway, sluice, sluiceway, spillway; swash, tideway, torrent; gutter, trough; river, rivulet, stream

1 to go after or on the track of after coursing the conspirators for months, the federal agents closed in and made the arrests Synonyms bird-dog, chase, follow, dog, hound, pursue, run, shadow, tag, tail, trace, track, trailRelated Words accompany, chaperone (or chaperon), escort; hunt, search (for), seek; eye, observe, watchNear Antonyms headAntonyms guide, lead, pilot

2 to make one's way through, across, or over once the threat of terrorism became apparent, fighter jets began coursing that corridor on a daily basis Synonyms traverse, cover, cross, cut (across), follow, go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travelRelated Words hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk; ride, run; crisscross

3 to proceed or move quickly racehorses coursing down the track Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, hurry, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoomRelated Words beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beelineNear Antonyms dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)Antonyms crawl, creep, poke