Definition

1. Noun:
   • The sport of hunting game animals, especially hares, with dogs that pursue by sight rather than scent: "Coursing" specifically refers to a traditional form of hunting where dogs, typically sighthounds like greyhounds, chase a live game animal across open ground.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He enjoyed the ancient sport of coursing.
  • The club organized a coursing event on the open moor.

Advanced Usage

• "to go coursing": to participate in the activity of hunting with sighthounds.
  • They would go coursing every weekend during the season.

Variants and Related Words

• Course (verb): To run or flow swiftly. While related etymologically, this is a distinct word. Example:
• Courser (noun, archaic): A swift horse; also, a person or dog that courses.

Synonyms

• Hunting with hounds
• Sighthound hunting

Notes on Meaning

• Historical Context: Coursing has a long history, often associated with nobility and regulated by specific rules. It is distinct from hunting with scent hounds (like beagles or foxhounds).
• Modern Context: In many regions, coursing with live game is controversial and/or illegal. The term is sometimes used in a modified sense for events where dogs chase a mechanically operated lure.

Noun

1. hunting with dogs (usually greyhounds) that are trained to chase game (such as hares) by sight instead of by scent