coupling
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)
- a connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move togetherSynonyms: yokeType of connection, connexion
- a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objectsSynonyms: couplerType of mechanical deviceKinds clutch, universal joint, clevis, swivel, turnbuckle, fluid drive
- 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”Synonyms: matingpairingconjugationunionsexual unionType of sexual activity, sexual practiceKinds disassortative mating, servicing, assortative mating, hybridization, inbreeding
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
1. The act of bringing or coming together; connection; sexual union.
2. Machinery A device or contrivance which serves to couple or connect adjacent parts or objects; as, a belt coupling, which connects the ends of a belt; a car coupling, which connects the cars in a train; a shaft coupling, which connects the ends of shafts.
Box coupling, Chain coupling. See under Box, Chain. — Coupling box, a coupling shaped like a journal box, for clamping together the ends of two shafts, so that they may revolve together. — Coupling pin, a pin or bolt used in coupling or joining together railroad cars, etc.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
<programming, hardware> The degree to which components depend on one another. There are two types of coupling, "tight" and "loose". Loose coupling is desirable for good software engineering but tight coupling may be necessary for maximum performance. Coupling is increased when the data exchanged between components becomes larger or more complex.
(1996-08-01)