coupling

1. 1.

   a connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move together

   Synonymsyoke

   Broaderconnection
2. 2.

   a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects

   Synonymscoupler

   Broadermechanical device

   Narrowerclevisclutchfluid driveswivelturnbuckleuniversal joint
3. 3.

   the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes

   “the casual couplings of adolescents”

   “the mating of some species occurs only in the spring”

   Synonymsmatingpairingconjugationunionsexual union

   Broadersexual activity

   Narrowerassortative matingdisassortative matinghybridizationinbreedingservicing

Other forms of coupling

plural

couplings·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about coupling

What does coupling mean?

coupling means "a connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move together". That is the primary sense; the word has 3 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in coupling?

coupling has 2 syllables: coup-ling. The stress falls on "coup". In IPA it is /ˈkʌplɪŋ/.

What is another word for coupling?

Close synonyms include yoke, coupler, mating, pairing, conjugation. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is coupling a common word?

coupling is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.