▪ I. coursing, vbl. n.1
(ˈkɔəsɪŋ)
[f. course v.]
1. The action of the verb course; running, racing, pursuing, etc.
| 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 101 There shall bee no such gadding nor coursing over any more to Rome. 1586 Cogan Haven Health i. (1636) 4 There was wrastling, running with Horses..coarsing with Charriots. 1612 Brerewood Lang. & Relig. xiii. 138 The coursings and streamings of rivers..from the midland parts toward the sea. |
2. spec. The sport of chasing hares or other game with greyhounds, by sight.
| 1538 Leland Itin. VII. 102 Faire Launds, for Coursynge. 1626 Bacon Sylva §990 In Coursing of a Deere, or Hare, with Grey-Hounds. c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary 1 A fine Champion Country pleasant for..Rideing, Hunting, Courseing. 1870 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports v. 551 Coursing, as a popular term, is understood to denote a branch of hunting, in which the dogs..pursue their game by sight only. |
| attrib. 1837 Lockhart Scott xlix, A grand coursing match on Newark hill. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xl, Bute Crawley didn't go to a coursing meeting. |
† 3. Oxford Univ. The opposing or challenging of a thesis in the Schools. Obs.
| 1660 Wood Life (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) I. 353 In Oliver's time..excellent disputations and much zealous coursing. a 1683 Shaftesbury in Remin. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) 36 In the year 1637 I went to Oxford to Exeter College..[We] did then maintain in the schools coursing against Christ Church. 1692 Wood Ath. Oxon. II. 603 Coursing in the time of Lent, that is the endeavours of one party to run down and confute another in disputations, did commonly end in blows. |
4. Comb., as coursing-joint (see quot.).
| 1874 Knight Dict. Mech., Coursing-joint, the mortar-joint between two courses of bricks or stones. |
▪ II. † ˈcoursing, vbl. n.2 Obs. nonce-wd.
[f. course n.]
(See quot.)
| 1549 Latimer 1st Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 30 The kynges grace hath systers..whych by succession and course are inheritours to the crowne. Who yf they shulde mary with straungers, what should ensue God knoweth. But God graunt they neuer come vnto coursyng nor succedynge. |
▪ III. ˈcoursing, ppl. a.
[-ing2.]
That courses: see the verb.
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 143 We do not meane the coursing snatchers onely. 1735 Somerville Chase i. 229 The mean murd'rous coursing Crew; intent On Blood and Spoil. 1801 Edgeworth Pract. Educ. I. 307 Coursing officers, and watching officers. |