coupling

[ kuhp-ling ]

/ ˈkʌp lɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR coupling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person or thing that couples.

Machinery.

a device for joining two rotating shafts semipermanently at their ends so as to transmit torque from one to the other.Compare clutch¹(def 12a).
a part with an inside thread for connecting two pipes of the same diameter.
a fitting at the end of a length of hose into which the end of another such length can be screwed or fitted.

Railroads. coupler(def 3).

Electricity.

the association of two circuits or systems in such a way that power may be transferred from one to the other.
a device or expedient to ensure this.

a short length of plumbing pipe having each end threaded on the inside.

the part of the body between the tops of the shoulder blades and the tops of the hip joints in a dog, horse, etc.

linkage(def 5).

Origin of coupling

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at couple, -ing¹

Words nearby coupling

coupled rhythm, coupledom, coupler, couples therapy, couplet, coupling, coupon, coupon bond, coupon clipper, coupon rate, couponer

Definition for coupling (2 of 2)

couple

[ kuhp-uh l ]

/ ˈkʌp əl /

noun

two of the same sort considered together; pair.

two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: They make a handsome couple.

any two persons considered together.

Mechanics. a pair of equal, parallel forces acting in opposite directions and tending to produce rotation.

Also called couple-close. Carpentry. a pair of rafters connected by a tie beam or collar beam.

a leash for holding two hounds together.

Fox Hunting. two hounds: 25 hounds or 12½ couple.

verb (used with object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.

to join; connect.

to unite in marriage or in sexual union.

Electricity.

to join or associate by means of a coupler.
to bring (two electric circuits or circuit components) close enough to permit an exchange of electromagnetic energy.

verb (used without object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

to join in a pair; unite.

to copulate.

Origin of couple

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French c(o)uple, Old French cople, cuple < Latin cōpula a tie, bond (see copula); (v.) Middle English couplen < Anglo-French co(u)pler, Old French copler, cupler < Latin copulāre (see copulate)

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM couple

cou·ple·a·ble, adjective in·ter·cou·ple, adjective well-cou·pled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH couple

couple pair several (see synonym study at pair)

Example sentences from the Web for coupling

In fact, this is the only coupling in the film that makes any sense.

Revisiting ‘Valentine’s Day,’ the Star-Studded V-Day Movie Disasterpiece |Marina Watts |February 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Coupling, Skins, Free Agents: Huge in the U.K., one-season flops in the U.S.

British Raunchfest ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’ Tries to Make Its Mark in America |Kevin Fallon |September 8, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
The train came to a standstill, the coupling between the wrecked and the unwrecked portions remaining intact.

Down Under With the Prince |Everard Cotes
He knows, moreover, the details of their sexual lives, he witnesses the often highly impressive spectacle of their coupling.

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 (of 6) |Havelock Ellis

After this episode T. began to speculate about sexual matters and to observe the coupling of dogs with newly acquired interest.

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 3 (of 6) |Havelock Ellis
This coupling of purchase with inheritance is strictly comparable to the Hidatsa bundle (this volume, 416-417).

Notes on the Kiowa Sun Dance |Leslie Spier
Down in the street stormed the firemen, coupling hose and dragging it to the front.

Children of the Tenements |Jacob A. Riis

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (1 of 2)

coupling

/ (ˈkʌplɪŋ) /

noun

a mechanical device that connects two things

a device for connecting railway cars or trucks together

the part of the body of a horse, dog, or other quadruped that lies between the forequarters and the hindquarters

electronics the act or process of linking two or more circuits so that power can be transferred between them usually by mutual induction, as in a transformer, or by means of a capacitor or inductor common to both circuits See also direct coupling

physics an interaction between different properties of a system, such as a group of atoms or nuclei, or between two or more systems

genetics the occurrence of two specified nonallelic genes from the same parent on the same chromosome

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (2 of 2)

couple

/ (ˈkʌpəl) /

noun

two people who regularly associate with each other or live together an engaged couple

(functioning as singular or plural) two people considered as a pair, for or as if for dancing, games, etc

mainly hunting

a pair of collars joined by a leash, used to attach hounds to one another
two hounds joined in this way
the unit of reckoning for hounds in a packtwenty and a half couple

a pair of equal and opposite parallel forces that have a tendency to produce rotation with a torque or turning moment equal to the product of either force and the perpendicular distance between them

physics

two dissimilar metals, alloys, or semiconductors in electrical contact, across which a voltage developsSee thermocouple
Also called: galvanic couple two dissimilar metals or alloys in electrical contact that when immersed in an electrolyte act as the electrodes of an electrolytic cell

a connector or link between two members, such as a tie connecting a pair of rafters in a roof

a couple of (functioning as singular or plural)

a combination of two; a pair ofa couple of men
informal a small number of; a fewa couple of days

pronoun

(usually preceded by a; functioning as singular or plural) two; a pair give him a couple

verb

(tr) to connect (two things) together or to connect (one thing) to (another) to couple railway carriages

(tr) to do (two things) simultaneously or alternately he couples studying with teaching

to form or be formed into a pair or pairs

to associate, put, or connect together history is coupled with sociology

to link (two circuits) by electromagnetic induction

(intr) to have sexual intercourse

to join or be joined in marriage; marry

(tr) to attach (two hounds to each other)

Word Origin for couple

C13: from Old French: a pair, from Latin cōpula a bond; see copula

Medical definitions for coupling

coupling

[ kŭp′lĭng ]

n.

The act of uniting sexually.

bigeminal rhythm

The configuration of two different mutant genes on the same chromosome, leading to the likelihood they will both either be inherited or omitted in the next generation.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

coupling

noun

Origin of coupling

Words nearby coupling

Definition for coupling (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used with object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

verb (used without object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

Origin of couple

usage note for couple

OTHER WORDS FROM couple

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH couple

Example sentences from the Web for coupling

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (1 of 2)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (2 of 2)

noun

pronoun

verb

Word Origin for couple

Medical definitions for coupling

n.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

coupling

noun

Origin of coupling

Words nearby coupling

Definition for coupling (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used with object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

verb (used without object), cou·pled, cou·pling.

Origin of couple

usage note for couple

OTHER WORDS FROM couple

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH couple

Words related to coupling

Example sentences from the Web for coupling

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (1 of 2)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for coupling (2 of 2)

noun

pronoun

verb

Word Origin for couple

Medical definitions for coupling

n.