couple
[ kuhp-uh l ]
/ ˈkʌp əl /
noun
verb (used with object), cou·pled, cou·pling.
verb (used without object), cou·pled, cou·pling.
to join in a pair; unite.
to copulate.
Idioms for couple
a couple of,
more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there. A dinner party, whether for a couple of old friends or eight new acquaintances, takes nearly the same amount of effort.
Also Informal, a couple.
Origin of couple
usage note for couple
The phrase
a couple of, meaning “a small number of; a few; several,” has been in standard use for centuries, especially with measurements of time and distance and in referring to amounts of money:
They walked a couple of miles in silence.
Repairs will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars. The phrase is used in all but the most formal speech and writing. The shortened phrase
a couple, without
of (
The gas station is a couple miles from here ), is an Americanism of recent development that occurs chiefly in informal speech or representations of speech, especially when followed by number terms (as
a couple dozen eggs ) or units of measurement (as
a couple years ago; a couple gallons of gas ). This use of couple (as an adjective or modifier) is still disliked by many. Without a following noun,
a couple is even more informal:
Jack shouldn't drive. It's clear he's had a couple. (Here the noun
drinks is omitted.)
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
In referring to two people, couple, like many collective nouns, may take either a singular or a plural verb. Most commonly, it is construed as a plural: The couple were traveling to Texas. See also collective noun.
OTHER WORDS FROM couple
cou·ple·a·ble, adjective in·ter·cou·ple, adjective well-cou·pled, adjectiveWords nearby couple
coupe,
couperin,
couperus,
coupette,
coupland,
couple,
couple-close,
coupled,
coupled pulse,
coupled rhythm,
coupledom
Example sentences from the Web for couple
British Dictionary definitions for couple
couple
/ (ˈkʌpəl) /
noun
pronoun
(usually preceded by a; functioning as singular or plural)
two; a pair
give him a couple
verb
Word Origin for couple
C13: from Old French: a pair, from Latin
cōpula a bond; see
copula