Meanings
plural couplings
- countableuncountableThe act of joining together to form a couple.
It is the first British yard in which every activity of hump marshalling, except for the driving of the hump locomotive and the uncoupling and coupling of wagons, is fully automatic or drastically simplified by modern aids.
1960 June, “Talking of trains: The new Margam yard”, in Trains Illustrated, page 323 - countableuncountablecomputingThe degree of reliance between two or more software modules.
The lack of coupling means that the elements of our system are better isolated from each other and from change. This isolation makes it easier to understand each element of the system.
2009, Robert C. Martin, chapter 10, in Clean Code, Prentice Hall, →ISBN, page 150Synonyms: dependency
- countableuncountablebusinessA connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them.
- countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
- countableuncountablelifestyleAn act of sexual intercourse.
The biggest film of March 1992 was “Basic Instinct,” an erotic thriller featuring an established movie star in explicit onscreen couplings with a sexy up-and-comer.
2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times, →ISSNSynonyms: aphrodisia, carnal knowledge, coitus, coition, commerce, commixtion, congress, conjunction
- countableuncountableA link between the performance of an action and the location where that action occurs or the method used to perform that action.
It seems just as likely, though, that it simply never occurred to him to think about crime as something so tightly tied to place. Literary theorists and bridge engineers and police chiefs struggle with coupling.
2019, Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers, page 342
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of couple
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe degree of reliance between two or more software modules.
nounAn act of sexual intercourse.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move together
nouna mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects
nounthe act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishcouplynge
- Englishcoupling
From Middle English couplynge; equivalent to couple + -ing.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian чифтосване, съедини́тел
- чифтосване (čiftosvane)act of joining together to form a couple
- съедини́тел (săedinítel)device that couples two things together
Chinese Mandarin 耦合
- 耦合 (ǒuhé)(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
Czech spřažení, spojení
- spřaženíact of joining together to form a couple
- spojeníact of joining together to form a couple
- spřáhlodevice that couples two things together
- spojkadevice that couples two things together
Finnish yhdistäminen, yhteenliittäminen
- yhdistäminenact of joining together to form a couple
- yhteenliittäminenact of joining together to form a couple
- kytkentäact of joining together to form a couple
- liitindevice that couples two things together
- yhdedevice that couples two things together
- kytkentä(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
- kytkentä(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
- kytkentä(physics) property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
French dépendance
- dépendance(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
German Verbindung, Verkupplung
- Verbindungact of joining together to form a couple
- Verkupplungact of joining together to form a couple
- Verbindungdevice that couples two things together
- Kupplungdevice that couples two things together
- Kopplerdevice that couples two things together
- Kopplung(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
- Einkopplung(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
- Kopplung(physics) property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
Greek σύζευξη, ζευγάρωμα
- σύζευξη (sýzefxi)act of joining together to form a couple
- ζευγάρωμα (zevgároma)act of joining together to form a couple
- ζευκτήρας (zefktíras)device that couples two things together
- σύνδεση (sýndesi)(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
- ένωση (énosi)(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
Italian aggancio
- aggancioact of joining together to form a couple
Norwegian Bokmål kobling
- koblingdevice that couples two things together
Polish sprzęganie, sprzęg
- sprzęganieact of joining together to form a couple
- sprzęgdevice that couples two things together
- sprzężenie(physics) property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
Romanian cuplare, legare
- cuplareact of joining together to form a couple
- legareact of joining together to form a couple
- ambreiajdevice that couples two things together
- cuplajdevice that couples two things together
- conectare(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
- contact(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
Russian соедине́ние, стыко́вка
- соедине́ние (sojedinénije)act of joining together to form a couple
- стыко́вка (stykóvka)act of joining together to form a couple
- сце́пка (scépka)act of joining together to form a couple
- соедини́тель (sojedinítelʹ)device that couples two things together
- му́фта (múfta)device that couples two things together
- свя́занность (svjázannostʹ)(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
- зави́симость (zavísimostʹ)(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
- конта́кт (kontákt)(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
- связь (svjazʹ)(physics) property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
- свя́занность (svjázannostʹ)(physics) property of physical systems that they are interacting with each other
Spanish enganche, acoplamiento
- engancheact of joining together to form a couple
- acoplamientoact of joining together to form a couple
- entronqueact of joining together to form a couple
- acopladordevice that couples two things together
- junturadevice that couples two things together
- acoplamiento(electronics) connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them
Turkish bağlama
- bağlama(software engineering) degree of reliance between two program modules
Welsh cyplydd, cyplwr
- cyplydddevice that couples two things together
- cyplwrdevice that couples two things together
Cite this entry
coupling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coupling
“coupling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coupling. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coupling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coupling.
Source: coupling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.