course

Dictionary: course (kôrs, kōrs) pronunciation

1. Onward movement in a particular direction; progress: the course of events.
2. Movement in time; duration: in the course of a year.
The direction of continuing movement: took a northern course.
The route or path taken by something, such as a stream, that moves. See synonyms at way.
Sports.
1. A designated area of land or water on which a race is held: the course of a marathon.
2. A golf course.
A mode of action or behavior: followed the best course and invested her money.
A typical or natural manner of proceeding or developing; customary passage: a fad that ran its course.
A systematic or orderly succession; a sequence: a course of medical treatments.
A continuous layer of building material, such as brick or tile, on a wall or roof of a building.
1. A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum: a four-year course in engineering.
2. A unit of such a curriculum: took an introductory course in chemistry; passed her calculus course.
A part of a meal served as a unit at one time: The first course was a delicious soup.
Nautical. The lowest sail on a mast of a square-rigged ship.
A point on the compass, especially the one toward which a vehicle, such as a ship, is moving.

v., coursed, cours·ing, cours·es.

v.tr.

To move swiftly through or over; traverse: ships coursing the seas.
1. To hunt (game) with hounds.
2. To set (hounds) to chase game.

v.intr.

To proceed or move swiftly along a specified course: "Big tears now coursed down her face" (Iris Murdoch).
To hunt game with hounds.

idioms:

in due course

At the proper or right time.

of course

In the natural or expected order of things; naturally.
Without any doubt; certainly.

[Middle English, from Old French cours, from Latin cursus, from past participle of currere, to run.]

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Thesaurus: course

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noun

A method used in dealing with something: approach, attack, line, modus operandi, plan, procedure, tack, technique. See means.
A number of things placed or occurring one after the other: chain, consecution, order, procession, progression, round, run, sequence, series, string, succession, suite, train. Informal streak. See order/disorder.
The compass direction in which a ship or an aircraft moves: bearing, heading, vector. See approach/retreat.

verb

See

Idioms: course

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Idioms beginning with course:
course of true love never ran smoothly, the

In addition to the idiom beginning with course, also see crash course; in due course; matter of course; of course; par for the course; run its course; stay the course.

US Military Dictionary: course

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[kôrs]

n. the route or direction followed by a ship, aircraft, road, or river: the new fleet changed course to join the other ships.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Music Encyclopedia: Courses

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Term for ranks of strings on a plucked instrument. A course may consist of one, two or three strings.

Architecture: course

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1. A layer of masonry units running horizontally in a wall or, much less commonly, curved over an arch; it is bonded with mortar.
2. A continuous row or layer of material, as shingles, tiles, etc.
3. In concrete construction, one of several horizontal layers making up a lift, 5. For specific types, see band course, base course, belt course, blocking course, bond course, coping course, corbel course, dog-tooth course, masonry course, random course, sill course, springing course, staggered course, stringcourse, tumbling course.

course, 1

Veterinary Dictionary: course

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1. the series of events in a disease incident in a patient. It may be peracute, acute, subacute, chronic or intermittent.
2. to course a rabbit, hare or fox is to run it in view, the opposite of conventional hunting by scent. Is prevented by legislation in most countries.

acute c. — 1 or 2 days.
chronic c. — more than 1 week.
intermittent c. — periods of normality of a few minutes or hours.
peracute c. — a few hours.
recurrent c. — periods of normality of weeks to months.
subacute c. — up to a week.

Military Dictionary: course

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(DOD, NATO) The intended direction of movement in the horizontal plane.

Word Tutor: course

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IN BRIEF: A way or path along which something moves. Also: a part of a meal served at one time.

The marathon course meandered through the city.

Tutor's tip: Another word that sounds like "course" which is a way or path, is "coarse" which means rough in texture.

Wikipedia: Course (navigation)

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Plotting a course

In navigation, a course is the intended path of a vehicle over the surface of the Earth. The course is the intended path of a vehicle of a line drawn on a chart representing the intended path. It is expressed as the angle measured from an object clockwise from 0° through 360° to the line. The object is often the true north. The course is customarily expressed in three digits, using preliminary zeros if needed.

1 Determining the true course of a vessel
2 Determining the track
3 Instrumentation
- 3.1 Aircraft
4 Notes
5 See also
6 References

Determining the true course of a vessel

Heading (2) is the angle of the vessel, aircraft or vehicle to an object (eg true north) (the heading of the ship shown in the image is 058°).

Any reading from a magnetic compass refers to compass north (4), which is supposed to contain a two-part compass error:
a) The Earth's magnetic field's north direction, or magnetic north (3), almost always differs from true north by magnetic variation (6), the local amount of which is given in nautical charts, and
b) ship's own magnetic field may influence the compass by so-called magnetic deviation (5).
Deviation only depends on the ship's own magnetic field and the heading, and therefore can be checked out and given as a deviation table or, graphically, as a Napier's diagram.

The compass heading or compass course (7) has to be corrected first for deviation (the "nearer" error), wherefrom results the magnetic heading (8). Correcting this for variation yields true heading (2).

In case of a crosswind (9), and/or tidal or other current (10), the heading will not meet the desired target, as the vessel will continuously drift sideways; it is necessary to point away from the intended course to counteract these effects.

Determining the track

Heading and Track (A to B)

The track or course over ground, is the actual path followed by the vessel from A to B. In the above given scheme, the corrections are shown that must be implemented to obtain the track of the vessel. Some ambiguity exists in the fact that the path a navigator intends to follow, after evaluating and counteracting possible effects of wind and current, is also called a track.

In real life, crosswinds and cross current occur which deflects the aircraft (or vessel) from its original heading (when this is not a headwind or a tailwind). The aircraft or vessel points more or less into the wind. The amount of this depends on the vehicle's speed, the wind's speed, and the angle of the wind in relation to the vehicle. To correct for these, the so-called wind correction angle and water flow correction angle is computed in advance and is frequently checked while "enroute". To correct for the water, often a correction of 20° is foreseen, while the correction for the wind is generally around 10°. Although these are the general values, the values for the correction is offcourse dependent on each individual vehicle; as such the actual values are often found on a case-by-case method using trial and error. In the above scheme, the track would be (9) for wind from port side.

GPX is an XML schema for storing track logs.

Instrumentation

Aircraft

In aircraft, the heading is found by using either the magnetic compass or heading indicator, two instruments that most aircraft have as standard. Using standard instrumentation, it is in reference to the local magnetic north direction. True heading is in relation to the lines of meridian (north-south lines). The units are degrees from north in a clockwise direction. East is 90, south is 180 and west is 270 degrees.

Note that, due to wind forces, the direction of movement of the aircraft, or track, is not the same as the heading. The nose of the aircraft may be pointing due west, for example, but a strong northerly wind will change its track south of west. The angle between heading and track is known as the drift angle or crab angle.

Notes

The above scheme shows a magnetic declination of 6° East, as is commonly encountered in areas of the Pacific Ocean, for instance, and a more-than-somewhat exaggerated deviation (taken from a fictitious deviation table for educational purpose) of +12°, for a compass heading of 040°. By conventional degaussing, deviation could usually be kept beyond 10°, and fluxgate compasses can be degaussed to almost D=0°.
The possible influences of wind and current are maximized by presupposing a very slow boat in heavy wind and current.
To increase readability of the scheme, all possible influences were given as positive, i.e. variation=East, + 12° deviation, wind and current from port side. The principle is the same for the opposite of any of the components.Initially a square symbol identifies a target in the beginning of acquisition and tracking phase. A line (vector) representing the target's relative direction of movement is displayed after 20 scans (usually less than one minute). Typically the square designator changes to a circle when steady state tracking is established after 60 scans. The end of the vector, representing target motion, predicts the position of the target after a time period between 0.5 and 30 minutes as selected by the operator. ARPA also shows pas positions of the target with a choice of 5,10 or 20 pas position dots at intervals of 0.5, 1,2,3, or 6 minutes. ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) and ATA (Automatic Tracking Aid) have the ability to track 60 and 40 targets respectively at relative speeds of up to 150 knots. Tracked target data is output to other shipborne systems such as electronic chart systems (ECS). Targets may be acquired manually or by using the annular and polygonal automatic acquisition zones. The two conventional annular zones are of variable depth and provide protection over any arc up to and including a full circle around own ship. The polygonal zones can be drawn to virtually any shape and are particularly useful for shore-based or other static site applications. When target tracking, the operator is able to display full target data on any chosen target or CPA/TCPA data on six selected targets. The six targets may be selected manually by the operator or automatically by CPA or range.

References

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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Translations: Course

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - løb, forløb, retning, fremgangsmåde, kurs, bane, kursus, lærebog, ret, skifte
v. tr. - drive parforcejagt, forfølge
v. intr. - løbe, rulle, strømme

idioms:

course book lærebog, kursusbog
course of life livsløb
course of nature naturens gang
course work kursusarbejde
in the course of imens, under
in the course of time med tiden, efterhånden
let something run its course lade noget gå sin naturlige gang
let something take its course lade noget gå sin naturlige gang
of course selvfølgelig
off course på gal kurs
on course på ret kurs
on course for med kurs mod

Nederlands (Dutch)
cursus(pakket), koers, (ver)loop, (ren)baan, kuur, (metsel)laag, onderzeil, lange jacht, stromen, koersen, snellen, op jacht gaan, gang iets op zijn beloop laten

Français (French)
n. - cours (de), cap (bateau, avion), (École, Univ) cours, (Méd, Vét) traitement, (Sport) parcours, plat (de poisson, etc), (Constr) assise
v. tr. - courir, couler, ruisseler, courir le lièvre
v. intr. - couler (larmes, sang), (Chasse) courir le lièvre, chasser (qn)

idioms:

course book livre de cours, méthode
course of life cours de la vie
course work (École, Univ) devoirs (de contrôle continu)
in the course of au cours de
in the course of time avec le temps
let something run its course laisser qch suivre son cours
let something take its course laisser les choses suivre leur cours
of course bien sûr, évidemment
of course not certainement pas
off course (faire) fausse route
on course se restabiliser (économie)
on course for en chemin pour, être en route pour, (fig) aller vers
the course of nature le cours de la nature

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kurs, Lauf, Verlauf, Rennstrecke, Kursus
v. - strömen

idioms:

course book Lehrbuch
course of life Lebensgeschichte
course work Studienarbeit
in the course of während
in the course of time im Laufe der Zeit
let something run its course etwas seinen Lauf lassen
let something take its course etwas seinen Lauf nehmen lassen
of course natürlich, selbstverständlich
of course not natürlich nicht
off course vom Weg abgekommen, vom Kurs abgekommen
on course auf dem Weg, auf Kurs
on course for auf etwas zusteuern
the course of nature der Lauf der Dinge

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πορεία, διάβα, πέρασμα, ακολουθούμενη πορεία (κν. ρότα), διαδρομή, δρομολόγιο, τροχιά, (συνήθης) διαδικασία ή μέθοδος, εξέλιξη (γεγονότων κ.λπ.), σειρά, αλληλουχία, σειρά μαθημάτων, εδεσματολόγιο, αγώνισμα δρόμου (κν. κούρσα), (οικοδ.) στρώση (τούβλων κ.λπ.), (ιατρ.) (θεραπευτική) αγωγή
v. - ρέω ή κυλώ (ορμητικά), κυνηγώ (λαγούς κ.λπ.) με σκύλους

idioms:

course book μαθητικό βιβλίο
course of life ζωή, τρόπος ζωής
course of nature φυσική τάξη
course work σχολική εργασία, φοιτητική εργασία (που συνυπολογίζεται στον τελικό βαθμό)
in the course of κατά τη διάρκεια/εξέλιξη του
in the course of time με την πάροδο του χρόνου
let something run its course αφήνω (π.χ. αρρώστια) να διατρέξει την τροχιά της, να συμπληρώσει τον κύκλο της
let something take its course αφήνω κάτι να ακολουθήσει την πορεία του, να πάρει το δρόμο του
of course φυσικά, ασφαλώς
off course εκτός πορείας
on course στη χαραχθείσα πορεία, στο σωστό δρόμο
on course for σε πορεία προς

Italiano (Italian)
direzione, rotta, corso, andamento, pista, decorso, portata, piatto

idioms:

course book testo
course of life corso della vita
course of nature corso della natura
course work programma
in the course of nel corso di
in the course of time con l'andare del tempo
let something run its course lasciar andare
let something take its course lasciar andare
main course secondo piatto, secondo, piatto principale
of course naturalmente, ovviamente
on course for avviato verso
on/off course in/fuori rotta

Português (Portuguese)
n. - curso (m), rota (f), desenvolvimento (m)
v. - percorrer, perseguir

idioms:

as a matter of course naturalmente
course book livro (m) didático
course of life no decorrer da vida
course of nature normalmente
course work trabalho escolar
in due course no devido tempo
in the course of no decorrer de
in the course of time com o passar do tempo
let something run its course deixar algo prosseguir naturalmente
let something take its course deixar algo prosseguir naturalmente
main course prato (m) principal de uma refeição
of course naturalmente
off course na direção errada
on course na direção certa
on course for durante um período de tempo
stay the course prosseguir até o final

Русский (Russian)
направление, дистанция, блюдо, курс

idioms:

as a matter of course как правило
course book методика
course of life образ жизни
course of nature естественным образом
course work курсовая работа
in due course должным образом
in the course of в ходе, во время
in the course of time со временем
let something run its course пустить на самотек
let something take its course пустить на самотек
main course второе блюдо
of course конечно
off course сбившийся с курса
on course for на пути к
on/off course в верном/неверном направлении
run/take its course идти своим чередом
stay the course закончить курс, держаться молодцом

Español (Spanish)
n. - rumbo, marcha, curso, recorrido, trayectoria, pista, hipódromo, cura, plato adicional, ciclo, serie, cursillo
v. tr. - rumbear, marchar, cursar, recorrer
v. intr. - rumbearse, marcharse, cursarse, recorrerse

idioms:

course book libro de texto
course of life ciclo de vida
course work trabajos durante el curso lectivo
in the course of en el curso de, en el transcurso de, durante
in the course of time andando el tiempo, con el tiempo
let something run its course dejar que una cosa siga su curso
let something take its course dejar que una cosa siga su curso
of course desde luego, claro, por supuesto
of course not por supuesto (que no), desde luego que no
off course perder el rumbo
on course seguir el rumbo
on course for rumbo a
the course of nature curso natural, el curso de la naturaleza

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lopp, riktning, förlopp, ordning, förfaringssätt, serie, lärokurs, kur (med.), rätt (vid måltid), golfbana, kurs (hand.), lager (byggn.), segel, jakt
v. - sätta efter, springa/jaga/rinna utför (poet.), låta hund springa, jaga hare, springa, jaga

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
路线, 过程, 方向, 进程, 课程, 追猎, 使奔跑, 追逐, 流动

idioms:

course book 教科书, 课本
course of life 生命过程
course of nature 正常情况, 通常
course work 课程, 学业
in the course of 在...期间, 在...过程中
in the course of time 最后, 经过一定的时间
let something run its course 让其自由发展
let something take its course 让其自然进行, 顺其自然进行
of course 当然
off course 不在规定的过程中
on course 在规定的过程中
on course for 朝着...航向行进

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 路線, 過程, 方向, 進程, 課程
v. tr. - 追獵, 使奔跑, 追逐
v. intr. - 流動, 追獵

idioms:

course book 教科書, 課本
course of life 生命過程
course of nature 正常情況, 通常
course work 課程, 學業
in the course of 在...期間, 在...過程中
in the course of time 最後, 經過一定的時間
let something run its course 讓其自由發展
let something take its course 讓其自然進行, 順其自然進行
of course 當然
off course 不在規定的過程中
on course 在規定的過程中
on course for 朝著...航向行進

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 진로, 진행, 방침, 교육과정
v. tr. - 뒤쫓다, 가로질러 달리다, 옆으로 쌓다
v. intr. - 달리다, 사냥하다

idioms:

in the course of ~의 동안에
in the course of time 때가 경과함에 따라, 불원간에
on course for ~을 이룰 것 같은

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 経過, 推移, 進路, 方向, 課程, 方針, 走路, ゴルフコース, 月経
v. - 勢いよく流れる, 狩る

idioms:

course book 教科書
course of life 人生行路
course of nature 自然の成り行き
course work コース作業
damp-proof course 防湿層
in the course of …のうちに
in the course of time そのうちにやがては
of course もちろん, そうですとも, ああそうでした, いやもちろん
of course (not) もちろん～ない
off course コースをそれて
on course for 針路どおりに
on/off course 予定の方向に進んで
run/take its course なるようになる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مجرى, مسار, خط, اتجاه, سير, مسلك, حلبه, ميدان, دورة (دراسيه), سلسله محاضرات, وجبه غذاء (فعل) سال, جرى, طارد, تعقب يدع أمر يسير لنهايته‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מסלול, התקדמות, כיוון, מנה, קורס, דרך, סדרה, נדבך, זרם, תעלת-מים, מרדף אחר חיות-ציד בעזרת חוש הראייה, מפרש בספינה‬
v. tr. - ‮צד ארנבות, רץ מהר, השתמש בכלבי-ציד‬
v. intr. - ‮הלך במסלול, רץ מהר, נע במהירות, השתתף בציד‬

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		Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
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		Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more
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course

Contents

Determining the true course of a vessel

Determining the track

Instrumentation

Aircraft

Notes

See also

References