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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Cours, n. Also: course, cource, coursse, cowrs(e, cors. [ME. course (cowrse), cours (a 1300), OF. cours.]

1. A rush, dash, or charge (of knights on horseback). 1375 Barb. ix. 611.
At that cours borne doun, and slane, War of thair fais a gret party Ib. xviii. 316.
Than till thame all ane cours he mais c1420 Wynt. viii. 5154.
At the tothir cours off were The Dowglas hit, and brak his spere Ib. 5214.
The iustynge lestyt dayis thre, Quhar men apert courssis mycht se a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 669; Ib. 682.
Thir cumly knightis to kyth ane cruel course maid c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 453.
Ane better cours than they twa ran Was not sene sen the warld began

b. A course in hunting. c1420 Wynt. vii. 46 (W).
Thar on the morne … The settis and the coursis [R. stable] set, The king [etc.]

2. Movement from one point to another; the direction of this, or distance covered by it. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 56.
Thu has wele strewine & stalwartly thi cource our-dryvine c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1646; Ib. 1667.
This tyme, quhen that herwist had In law places his coursses maid c1420 Wynt. ii. 1344.
This Ycarius in his flycht Made a cowrs so hey on hycht 1456 Hay I. 230/35.
He maid his cours before the toune as othir tymes he had done c1475 Wall. vi. 12.
Faunis materis … Walkyn thair cours in euery casuall hour a1500 Bk. Chess 2171.
Efter … this povnis first moving Frome poynt to poynt the cours [he] furth sall bring c1515 Asl. MS. I. 303/28.
To tell … throu quhat realmes … thai haue cours & acces it war our prolixt 1513 Doug. ii. xii. 40.
Quhar, with soft cowrs, Tybris … Rynnys throu the rych feldis 1549 Compl. 111/12.
Eftir diuerse turnand coursis athourtht the cuntre, he returnit suddanlye

b. Course in sailing; passage by water. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1962.
That thar suld seme plane land war by Quhare thai mycht hald thare cours saifly c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 237.
To the schip thai went … And with swift course atour the flude thay frak 1513 Doug. i. viii. 72.
Thidderwart our cours was laid Ib. iii. ii. 95; etc.
It is not thens lang cowrs nor vyage fer a1570-86 Shaw Maitl. F. cxlvi. 29.
Keip weill to ȝour cours and rewle ȝour rudir 1562-3 Winȝet I. 4/2.
Returning thair course fet by the first sett compasse a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvii. 22.
Cast weill thy cours; thow hes ane kittill cure 1611-57 Mure Dido i. 97.
Their speedy cowrse amidst the maine they ply

c. The course of the heavenly bodies, or of time. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 338.
Till fourty ȝere the cors had maid c1400 Troy-bk. i. 538.
Eclyps was neuir sene Agane twa kindely coursys to fall 1456 Hay II. 107/35.
Scho knew the course of the ȝeris, dayes, monthis and sesonis a1500 Henr. Fab. 623.
All the planetis of the firmament. Thair cours, and eik thair mouing in the spheir c1475 Wall. ix. 7.
Quhen old Saturn his cloudy cours had gon c1515 Asl. MS. I. 320/8.
The son contrar his cours regressit bakwardis x mylis 1513 Doug. i. xi. 93.
The monys change and oblique cowrs sang he Ib. vi. xiii. 87.
The landis lyis … Outwith the ȝheris cours c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6256.
The sewin planetis … Ar reft about with coursse contrarious 1591-2 Rob Stene 22.
We … calculd weill the cours of mone

d. Currency, circulation. 1457 Acts II. 50/1.
That fra the fest of Sanct Michaell … thir mesurys of pynt and ferlot haif cours and nane vther 1473 Ib. 105/1.
The saidis plakkis … therefter [to] haue cours as thai ar of avale 1483 Acta Aud. *122/1.
Becaus the dait of the contract … was befor the cours of ony blac mone 1493 Halyb. 10.
To cont … all gold there efter as it had cowrs affor the crya 1519 Peebles B. Rec. 49.
This forsaid gold and siluer haifand the cowrs forsaid in Frans 1572 Reg. Privy C. II. 136.
The haill pece to haue cours and passage for sex schillingis aucht penneis 1580 Acts III. 191/1.
The … allayit money hauing cours within the same [realm]

3. The course followed or taken by any natural force or tendency, human activity, etc. 1375 Barb. i. 334.
Till swylk thowlesnes he ȝeid, As the cours askis off ȝowtheid Ib. xvii. 493.
Now … we … turn the cours of our carpyng Till schir Robert c1420 Wynt. iv. 1805.
As cours made and qualyte Ayrys wawerand for to be c1450-2 Howlat 462.
Off commoun nature the cours be kynd to fulfill a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1220.
Sen fortoune cachis the cours, throu hir quentys 1495 Acta Conc. 415/1.
Nocht [remanand] within the said toune nor vsand the course of merchandise therintill 1535 Stewart 59656.
Than sperit he The cours and kynd of his infirmitie 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. iv.
Beists of diuers kynds, … Sum lying, sum trying The cours of cairfulnes

b. Usual (legal) procedure. 1424 Acts II. 3/1.
Vnder all payne that may folowe be cours of common lawe 1456 Hay I. 218/12.
Efter the cours of the law commoun, all realmes suld be subject to the Empire 1469 Acta Aud. 9/1.
He sall hafe na dale nor entermeting thairwith in tyme tocum bot as the coursse of commoun law will 1535 Stewart 26984.
Concord wes maid be cours of commoun law 1588 3 Rep. Hist. MSS. 419/2.
A puir man that dar nocht seik redres of this wrang be the ordinar course of iustice

c. A course of instruction or study. 1560 Bk. Disc. 214.
Tuo Reidaris in the Municipall and Romane Lawis, who sall compleit thair coursses in four yeares 1611 Dioc. Synod Lothian 110.
[A student] craving sum cheretabill meins … for … furtherance of his cours

4. A course of food served at table. c1420 Wynt. viii. 1491.
Scho gert set ilka day … All the cowrssys coweryd welle In-to sylver brycht weschelle Ib. 1495. 1456 Hay II. 123/20.
Ȝit suld thou mak a paus betuene coursis of mete a1500 Henr. Fab. 269.
Thay wesche and went to meit, With all coursis that cukis culd deuyne 1560 Seven S. 4538.
The knicht … commandit ane new tabill be set With new naiprie, and vther coursis get c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxv. 57.
To drynk with ws the new fresche wyne, … With mony ane cours of grit dyntie 1513 Doug. i. xi. 58.
That cowrs neir gane, And voduris and fat trunschuris away tane 1535 Stewart 32070.
Thair wes no wyn quhairof that tha had want, No ȝit na coursis that tyme to thame scant a1578 Pitsc. I. 45/8.
Efter the great cheir was maid at the denner and coursses taine away

5. A turn or term of duty, office, etc. 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I. 202.
Wyth ledyng of sand as he is ordand in his covrs for al nedful thyngis of the Abbay 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 9.
The auditouris salbe diligently exercisit … euery moneth, ilk ane thair cours about Ib. 14. 1622-6 Bisset I. 124/24.
The thrie ordinare clerkis, … be thair coursis and ordine successivo, sall serve in the uttir house

6. A single layer or stretch of something. 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 233.
Thrie staiges of tazelis, ilk staige contening xv cours, & ilk cours xx pair of tazelis, price of ilk cours xx s. 1623 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 282/3.
The haill upmest cours of the haill arshleir Ib.
Ane new cours of arshler