Coarse vs. Course — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 26, 2023
Coarse refers to something rough in texture or crude in nature; Course can mean a direction, class of study, or part of a meal. Both have distinct meanings and are not interchangeable.
Difference Between Coarse and Course
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Key Differences
While Coarse suggests a lack of refinement or fineness, Course encompasses a variety of meanings, including a series of lectures or studies on a particular subject, forming an educational pathway or module. In this sense, Course carries an educational or academic connotation.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Another context for Coarse is when describing a vulgar or inappropriate manner of speaking or acting. This makes the word carry a more negative connotation in such contexts. Course, meanwhile, is also used in the context of meals, referring to the different stages or parts of a meal, such as the "main course."
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Coarse primarily denotes a rough or uneven texture or quality. It can refer to physical surfaces, like fabric, or it can imply crudeness in behavior or language. On the other hand, Course can relate to a direction in which something moves or a path along which something runs.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
It's important not to confuse the two despite their phonetic similarities. While Coarse always touches upon the roughness or crudeness of something, Course can vary from educational contexts to directional ones, and even culinary scenarios.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Comparison Chart
Main Association
Roughness or crudeness
Direction, educational path, part of a meal
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
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Usage
Used to describe quality or behavior
Refers to direction, a series of lessons, or meal part
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Definitions
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Course
The continuous passage or progress through time.
The Course of the river has changed over years.
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Sep 26, 2023
Course
The way in which something progresses or develops.
The disease took a rapid Course.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Coarse
(of a person or their speech) rude or vulgar
A man of coarse speech
Indecent language and coarse jests
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The route or path taken by something that moves, such as a stream or vehicle.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A designated route or area on which a race is held
The course of a marathon.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A mode of action or behavior
Followed the best course and invested her money.
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May 19, 2019
Course
A typical, natural, or customary manner of proceeding or developing
A fad that ran its course.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A systematic or orderly succession; a sequence
A course of medical treatments.
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May 19, 2019
Course
A continuous layer of building material, such as brick or tile, on a wall or roof of a building.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A complete body of prescribed studies constituting a curriculum
A four-year course in engineering.
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May 19, 2019
Course
A unit of such a curriculum
Took an introductory course in chemistry.
Passed her calculus course.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A part of a meal served as a unit at one time
The first course was a delicious soup.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Large in bulk, or composed of large parts or particles; of inferior quality or appearance; not fine in material or close in texture; gross; thick; rough; - opposed to fine; as, coarse sand; coarse thread; coarse cloth; coarse bread.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A point on the compass, especially the one toward which a vehicle, such as a ship, is moving.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Not refined; rough; rude; unpolished; gross; indelicate; as, coarse manners; coarse language.
I feelOf what coarse metal ye are molded.
To copy, in my coarse English, his beautiful expressions.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(Music) A string or set of two or more closely-spaced and usually identically-tuned strings, as on a lute.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Of texture; large-grained or rough to the touch;
Coarse meal
Coarse sand
A coarse weave
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Lacking refinement or cultivation or taste;
He had coarse manners but a first-rate mind
Behavior that branded him as common
An untutored and uncouth human being
An uncouth soldier--a real tough guy
Appealing to the vulgar taste for violence
The vulgar display of the newly rich
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Of low or inferior quality or value;
Of what coarse metal ye are molded
Produced...the common cloths used by the poorer population
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Coarse
Conspicuously and tastelessly indecent;
Coarse language
A crude joke
Crude behavior
An earthy sense of humor
A revoltingly gross expletive
A vulgar gesture
Full of language so vulgar it should have been edited
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
To proceed or move swiftly in a certain direction or along a course
"Big tears now coursed down her face" (Iris Murdoch).
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May 19, 2019
Course
A sequence of events.
The normal course of events seems to be just one damned thing after another.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A learning programme, whether a single class or (UK) a major area of study.
I need to take a French course.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A path that something or someone moves along.
His illness ran its course.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(nautical) The direction of movement of a vessel at any given moment.
The ship changed its course 15 degrees towards south.
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May 19, 2019
Course
(navigation) The intended passage of voyage, such as a boat, ship, airplane, spaceship, etc.
A course was plotted to traverse the ocean.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(nautical) The lowest square sail in a fully rigged mast, often named according to the mast.
Main course and mainsail are the same thing in a sailing ship.
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May 19, 2019
Course
(masonry) A row of bricks or blocks.
On a building that size, two crews could only lay two courses in a day.
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May 19, 2019
Course
(roofing) A row of material that forms the roofing, waterproofing or flashing system.
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May 19, 2019
Course
(textiles) In weft knitting, a single row of loops connecting the loops of the preceding and following rows.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(music) One or more strings on some musical instruments (such as the guitar, lute or vihuela): if multiple, then closely spaced, tuned in unison or octaves and intended to played together.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
To run or flow (especially of liquids and more particularly blood).
The oil coursed through the engine.
Blood pumped around the human body courses throughout all its veins and arteries.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(transitive) To pursue by tracking or estimating the course taken by one's prey; to follow or chase after.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
(transitive) To cause to chase after or pursue game.
To course greyhounds after deer
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage.
And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The ground or path traversed; track; way.
The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance.
A light by which the Argive squadron steersTheir silent course to Ilium's well known shore.
Westward the course of empire takes its way.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Progress from point to point without change of direction; any part of a progress from one place to another, which is in a straight line, or on one direction; as, a ship in a long voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations; also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of a race.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument.
The course of true love never did run smooth.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Customary or established sequence of events; recurrence of events according to natural laws.
By course of nature and of law.
Day and night,Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,Shall hold their course.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior.
My lord of York commends the plot and the general course of the action.
By perseverance in the course prescribed.
You hold your course without remorse.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A series of motions or acts arranged in order; a succession of acts or practices connectedly followed; as, a course of medicine; a course of lectures on chemistry.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn.
He appointed . . . the courses of the priests
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
That part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments.
He [Goldsmith] wore fine clothes, gave dinners of several courses, paid court to venal beauties.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue.
We coursed him at the heels.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
To cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
To run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire.
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Education imparted in a series of lessons or class meetings;
He took a course in basket weaving
Flirting is not unknown in college classes
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A connected series of events or actions or developments;
The government took a firm course
Historians can only point out those lines for which evidence is available
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May 19, 2019
Course
Facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport;
The course had only nine holes
The course was less than a mile
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A mode of action;
If you persist in that course you will surely fail
Once a nation is embarked on a course of action it becomes extremely difficult for any retraction to take place
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
A line or route along which something travels or moves;
The hurricane demolished houses in its path
The track of an animal
The course of the river
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
General line of orientation;
The river takes a southern course
The northeastern trend of the coast
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
Move along, of liquids;
Water flowed into the cave
The Missouri feeds into the Mississippi
Fiza Rafique
May 19, 2019
Course
The path or direction followed.
The ship set its Course for the island.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Course
A series of lectures or lessons on a particular subject.
I took a Course on Ancient History.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
FAQs
Are Coarse and Course homophones?
Yes, they sound alike but have different meanings.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is Course always about education?
No, it can refer to direction, part of a meal, or the progression of events.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Can Coarse refer to someone's behavior?
Yes, it can imply crude or unrefined behavior.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is a "main course" about education?
No, in this context, it refers to the primary dish in a meal.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is "course book" a textbook?
Yes, it's a book used for a specific academic course.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is "coarse grain" about large grains?
Yes, it means the grains are larger or rougher in texture.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Can you "change course" in a conversation?
Yes, it means to shift the topic or direction of the conversation.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
What does "course of action" mean?
It refers to a plan or procedure to be followed.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is "coarse language" inappropriate?
Typically, yes. It refers to crude or vulgar language.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Can a person be described as Coarse?
Yes, implying they lack refinement or are crude.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
How does Coarse relate to hair?
Coarse hair refers to thick or rough-textured hair.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Does Coarse always have a negative connotation?
Often, but not always. Context is crucial.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Is "golf course" related to education?
No, it's a place where golf is played.
Fiza Rafique
Sep 26, 2023
Author Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content editor at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
