n. & v.
--n.
1. (usu. foll. by of; often as sing.) a two (a couple of girls). b about two (a couple of hours).
2 (often as sing.) a a married or engaged pair. b a pair of partners in a dance, a game, etc. c a pair of rafters.
3 (pl. couple) a pair of hunting dogs (six couple of hounds).
4 (in pl.) a pair of joined collars used for holding hounds together.
5 Mech. a pair of equal and parallel forces acting in opposite directions, and tending to cause rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing them.
--v.
1. tr. fasten or link together; connect (esp. railway carriages).
2 tr. (often foll. by together, with) associate in thought or speech (papers coupled their names; couple our congratulations with our best wishes).
3 intr. copulate.
4 tr. Physics connect (oscillators) with a coupling.
Etymology: ME f. OF cople, cuple, copler, cupler f. L copulare, L COPULA