couple
couple Lexical Profile
couple Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Two individuals of the same sort considered together; a pair.
"She packed a couple of warm sweaters for the weekend trip to the mountains."
Two people who are married, engaged, or otherwise romantically involved with each other.
"The newlywed couple bought their first house in a quiet neighborhood."
An indefinite small number of people or things; a few (used informally).
"It will only take a couple of minutes to finish reviewing the document."
A system of two equal and opposite parallel forces acting along different lines, which tends to produce rotation without translation (in physics and mechanics).
"Turning a steering wheel with both hands applies a mechanical couple to the shaft."
• verb
To link, combine, or associate two things, ideas, or systems together.
"High inflation, coupled with rising interest rates, slowed down the housing market."
To fasten or connect two railway vehicles, mechanical parts, or electrical circuits together.
"The rail workers coupled the freight cars to the locomotive before departure."
To come together to form pairs for mating or sexual union.
"The documentary observed how the birds gather at the breeding grounds to couple each spring."
Word Nuance & Usage
Strictly speaking, 'a couple of' means two, though in informal usage it often means a small, indefinite number (similar to 'a few'). In American English, the preposition 'of' is frequently dropped in casual speech before plural nouns (e.g., 'a couple days'), whereas British English and formal writing require 'a couple of'.
• Rhymes for couple
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French 'cople', which derives from Latin 'copula' meaning 'a tie, bond, or link', formed from 'co-' (together) and 'apere' (to fasten).