▪ I. courant, a. and n.1
Also 4–6 corant.
[a. F. courant, OF. also curant, corant:—L. current-em running.]
A. adj. † a. Running: early form of current a. q.v.
b. Her. Applied to figures of animals represented as running. (Formerly also current.)
| 1727 Bailey II, Coura'nt [in Heraldry], running, as a buck courant. 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. xvii. 262 Three greyhounds courant in pale. 1886 C. M. Yonge Armourer's Prentices 29 Crest, a buck Courant. |
† B. n.1 A running-string; see quot. Obs.
| 1601 Holland Pliny xix. i. (1634) II. 3 A..net..together with the cords and strings called Courants, running along the edges to draw it in and let it out. |
▪ II. courant, n.2
(kuːˈrænt)
Also 7 corant(e, corrant.
[a. F. courant runner, subst. use of courant running, posting (Cotgr.). With sense 2 cf. Du. krant (from korant) gazette, newspaper.]
† 1. ? An express (messenger or message). Obs.
| 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia (1629) 168 A Corante was granted against Master Deputy Farrar, and..others..to plead their causes before..the Lords of his Maiesties Priuy Councell. 1632 B. Jonson Magn. Lady i. Wks. (Rtldg.) 442/1 For his relations, Corants, avisos, correspondences With this ambassador, and that agent! 1642 Strangling Gt. Turk in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) V. 190 Shameless reports of strange men, and weak certificates by courants from foreign parts. 1727 W. Mather Yng. Man's Comp. 26 Courant, a Messenger. |
2. A paper containing news; a published newsletter or newspaper. (Now only in names of newspapers, esp. in Scotland and northern counties.)
| 1621 Bp. H. King Sermon 59 Euery fabulous Gazette, and idle Corante that posts betwixt England and Doway. 1626 Raleigh's Ghost in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) III. 529 The liberty of these times (wherein your courants, gazettes, pasquils, and the like, swarm to abundantly). a 1637 B. Jonson Underwoods lxi. Vulcan, The weekly courants with Paul's seal; and all Th' admired discourses of the prophet Ball. 1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 27 There are in Paris every week commonly some odde Pamphlets and Pasquils dispersed..which with the Gazets and Courants hee should do well to reade weekly. 1774 Foote Cozeners i. Wks. 1799 II. 146 Journals, chronicles, morning and evening posts, and courants. |
▪ III. courant, n.3
see courante.
▪ IV. couˈrant, carant, v. Obs. or dial.
[f. next.]
† 1. intr. To dance a courante. Obs.
| 1625 Lisle Du Bartas, Noe 73 The neighbour hillocks leapt, and woods rejoyced round, Carranting, as it were, at her sweet voice's sound. |
2. To run or race about. dial.
| 1800 F. Leighton Let. 17 Feb. to J. Boucher (MS.), To the list of Shropshire words you may add ‘Couranting’, i.e. begging corn about the country on St. Thomas's day. 1855 Kingsley Westw. Ho xxx. (D.), ‘If everybody's caranting about to once each after his own men, nobody'll find nothing.’ 1879 Shropsh. Word-bk., Couranting, going about from place to place gossiping and carrying news. |