courser

1 of 2

noun (1)

cours·​er ˈkȯr-sər How to pronounce courser (audio)
: a swift or spirited horse : charger

courser

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: a dog for coursing
2
: one that courses : huntsman
3
: any of various Old World birds (subfamily Cursoriinae of the family Glareolidae) noted for their speed in running

Examples of courser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
India is the only country with more than one bird on the list, with the Himalayan quail, last sighted in 1877, and the Jerdon's courser, which was witnessed much more recently in 2009. Jeevan Ravindran, CNN, 19 Dec. 2021 This West African sighthound makes a fiercely protective companion and guardian, and an extremely intelligent lure courser. The Editors, Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courser.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English corsour, corser, borrowed from Anglo-French curser, courcer, from cours, curs "run, race, course entry 1" (continental Old French, "rapid pace") + -er -er entry 2

Noun (2)

course entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of courser was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near courser

Cite this Entry

“Courser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courser. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

courser

noun
cours·​er
ˈkōr-sər,
ˈkȯr-
: a swift or spirited horse

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