[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. Celia Fiennes, Diary (1888), 1. A fine Champion Country pleasant for all sports, Rideing, Hunting, Courseing, Setting and shooteing.
1870. Blaine, Encycl. Rural Sports, v. 551. Coursing, as a popular term, is understood to denote a branch of hunting, in which the dogs employed 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. Ibid. (1692), 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.
a. 1683. Shaftesbury, in Remin. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), 35–6. In the year 1637 I went to Oxford to Exeter College…. [We] did then maintain in the schools coursing against Christ Church.
4. Comb., as coursing-joint (see quot.).
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., Coursing-joint, the mortar-joint between two courses of bricks or stones.
