Couple
/ˈkʌpəl/
Definitions
3 meaningsTwo people in a romantic or marital relationship.
/ˈkʌpəl/
Two people who are married or in a romantic relationship.
The couple celebrated their anniversary with a romantic dinner.
💡 Simply: A couple is like two best friends who are also in love. They might go on dates, share secrets, and build a life together. Imagine your parents—they're a couple!
👶 For kids: A couple is two people who are boyfriend and girlfriend, or husband and wife.
More Examples
The couple went on a long walk on the beach.
The young couple looked very happy together.
How It's Used
"The happy couple announced their engagement."
"They are a couple, and they love spending time together."
A small number of things, often considered to be two.
/ˈkʌpəl/
Two of something; a pair.
I need a couple of minutes to finish this task.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, we use 'couple' to mean 'a few' or 'a small number.' Like, if you wanted a 'couple' of cookies—that's more than one, but not a whole lot.
👶 For kids: When you have two things, like a couple of shoes, or a couple of toys.
More Examples
There were a couple of stray dogs in the park.
Could you lend me a couple of dollars?
How It's Used
"She bought a couple of apples at the store."
"Could you bring a couple of chairs?"
To connect or join two things together.
/ˈkʌpəl/
To join or connect two things.
The mechanic coupled the trailer to the truck.
💡 Simply: When you couple things, it means you're linking or connecting them. Think of linking train cars—you're coupling them together!
👶 For kids: To put two things together.
More Examples
The software can be coupled with a hardware device.
The new research coupled climate change with species extinction.
How It's Used
"The engineer coupled the two pipes together."
"He coupled the software with the hardware."
Idioms & expressions
a couple of
Two or a few; a small number of.
"I'll see you in a couple of hours."
couple up
To form a romantic relationship with someone.
"They coupled up after meeting at the party."
From Old French *cop(e)le* (a coupling, a pair), from Latin *copula* (a bond, tie).
The word 'couple' has been used since the 13th century, initially referring to two of something.
Memory tip
Think of a cup-ful of love, shared by two people.
Word Origin
"bond, tie"