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course

course

480 1.3
A separate part of a meal such as a starter or dessert
  • noun
  • /kɔrs/
translation icon : plato
  • During the dinner, each course was beautifully presented and paired with carefully selected wines.
  • main course

The biggest problem was each course is paired with wine.

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Examples

  • The restaurant offers a delightful three-course course that includes a starter, main dish, and dessert.

  • And now to the main course in his greatest lighting.

  • A toast to our main course this evening.

  • Each wine was paired with a different lunch course and it was all delish.

  • Professor Edward Copeland opened his course on Japanese literature that summer with haiku in translation.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • For dessert, we chose a rich chocolate cake as the final course of the meal.

Synonyms

dessert
vscourse
431 1.0

A sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal

is any separate part of a meal served in order
dish
vscourse
332 1.0

A particular cooked food served as part of a meal

is a separate meal part rather than any single prepared food item
appetizer
vscourse
  • US
103 2.6

A small food or drink served before a main meal to make you hungry

is any separate part of a meal not only a pre-main item
plate
vscourse
57 1.0

A main meal served on one dish

is any separate part of a meal not only a restaurant main
starter
vscourse
  • UK
9 1.9

A small dish served before the main course to begin a meal

is any separate part of a meal not only the first one
entremets
vscourse
  • Archaic
9.9

A small dish served with or between main courses to add variety

is a broad name for any separate meal part rather than just a side

Idioms

1.0

To show something is obvious and to say yes or give permission

37 3.8

Moving forward as planned to reach a goal

14 4.7

A normal thing to expect in a situation

in due course
  • Formal
12 3.5

At the right time after some waiting

To make a big lasting change to what happens next

Likely to lead to a conflict or failure if nothing changes

Done regularly without extra thought

Compounds

126 1.0

An area of land with grass and holes where people play golf

A plan of steps to reach a goal

28 1.3

The main dish served after a starter and before dessert

A situation likely to lead to conflict between people or groups if not changed

17 3.4

A short course that teaches important skills quickly

The way important events and changes happen over time in the past

A short course that reviews and updates what people already know

Something that people expect to happen without special effort

A change to a plan to make it work better

A course where teachers send lessons and students return work by mail or online for home study

A set of classes in a subject that lead to a qualification or degree

A move to a different direction physically or in plans

A course that all students must take to finish a program

2 3.4

A list of classes a college or university offers with times, requirements, and descriptions

course credit
  • Specialized
1 3.4

An official record that a college gives for a completed course toward a degree

A course offered by a college for adults, often in the evenings

A course a student chooses instead of a required class

main course
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large square sail set on a ship's main mast to catch the wind

A set of lessons in a subject to teach skills or knowledge

1 6.5

A golf course by the sea with sandy ground, small hills, and few trees

A series of talks about one subject that teachers give at a university or college

A scheduled class that is part of a course

7.9

A layer of waterproof material at the bottom of walls near the ground that stops moisture rising

A layer of waterproof material in a wall near the ground that stops water rising

Happening in a normal, expected way

mizzen course
  • Specialized
9.9

The lowest sail on the mast at the back of a sailing ship

A short class that introduces new people to a place or group

A racetrack in Baltimore that hosts the Preakness Stakes

weeder course
  • Jargon
8.2

A hard class that many students fail, making some leave the program

How Filling

main course
28 1.3
course
480 1.3
side dish
19 1.0
starter
  • UK
9 1.9

Surface Forms

course singular
courses plural

Etymology

Course (meal) comes from the Latin root cursus and currere, which mean 'to run'. A helpful way to remember this is to think of dishes being 'run' one after another, so a meal has separate courses served in order.