coupling

noun

cou·​pling

(usual for sense 2)

ˈkə-pliŋ 

-pə-liŋ

1

: the act of bringing or coming together : pairing

specifically : sexual union

2

: a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects

3

: the joining of or the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters of a quadruped

4

: a means of electric connection of two electric circuits by having a part common to both

Synonyms

• connection
• join
• joining
• joint
• jointure
• junction
• juncture

Examples of coupling in a Sentence

the couplings between railroad cars

a coupling of literature and science

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s usually pomp and circumstance [in royal couplings] but that’s not really what was there. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2024

Applicants were required to submit employment records and a personal essay, and age and geography were taken into account to maximize the chances of long-term coupling. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

coupling

noun

cou·​pling ˈkəp-liŋ ( 

 usual for sense 2  ),

-ə-liŋ

1

: the act of bringing or coming together

2

: something that connects two parts or things

Medical Definition

coupling

noun

cou·​pling ˈkəp-liŋ, -ə-liŋ 

1

: the joint together with its supporting structures between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum that joins the hindquarters of a quadruped to the trunk

broadly : the part of the body or the conformation and proportionate length of the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters

2

: the tendency of linked traits to be inherited together in offspring of a double heterozygote when both dominant genes occur on one chromosome and both recessive genes occur on the homologous chromosome compare repulsion

3

: bigeminy