Couple
From Free net encyclopedia
- For the definition of couple and words related to it see Wiktionary.
Couple, as a noun, is close in meaning to pair, can refer to:
- two, an only two, of any similar items;
- the publicly social bond between two people (most often heterosexual, but common use has also increasingly included homosexuals) in a sexual relationship:
- husband and husband;
- husband and wife;
- wife and wife;
- girlfriend and boyfriend;
- two girlfriends (ed.,not to be confused with the platonic use (eg., connotations free from physical desire) of the word "girlfriend");
- two boyfriends;
To couple, as a verb, means to join together or connect.
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Mechanics
In mechanics, two equal and opposite forces whose lines of action do not coincide are known as a couple. The forces have a turning effect or moment called a torque.
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American vs British usage
Couple can be used to refer to more than two, as in a "couple of days" would refer to an indetefinite small number of days when in the United States. In England, a couple almost always refers to two. See the Wiktionary definition for more detail.
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