coupling
noun
cou·pling 
(usual for sense 2)
ˈkə-pliŋ -pə-liŋ
1
: the act of bringing or coming together : pairing
specifically : sexual union
2
: a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects
3
: the joining of or the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters of a quadruped
4
: a means of electric connection of two electric circuits by having a part common to both
Synonyms
- connection
- join
- joining
- joint
- jointure
- junction
- juncture
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the couplings between railroad cars a coupling of literature and science
Recent Examples on the Web With rumors of an impending end to their two-year coupling, an insider assured PEOPLE that Timberlake and Biel were still going strong. 
Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 Bria asks Zeta to chat the day after the coupling to find out what is up with the animosity toward her. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 Co-produced by the late Whitney Houston, who also played Fairy Godmother, Cinderella showcased an interracial coupling in their casting of the singer Brandy as Cinderella and Paolo Montalban as the Prince. Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 10 June 2022 This construction creates a tight acoustic seal that dampens vibrations and reduces structural coupling. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 This new paper realizes a scheme that uses the Fibonacci sequence in combination with the coherent coupling between qubits to slow the buildup of coherent errors. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 Each week, a coupling ceremony allows individuals to pick a new partner, or commit to their current partner for another week. Christina Dugan Ramirez, PEOPLE.com, 19 July 2022 Thanks to the air mass coupling with rich low-level moisture, there were multiple days with heat indices over 100. Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 5 July 2022 This new paper shows how to reduce errors, not by engineering but by understanding (and using) the right quantum states and their coupling to generate a system that is naturally more immune to certain types of noise. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 See More
Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 Bria asks Zeta to chat the day after the coupling to find out what is up with the animosity toward her. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 Co-produced by the late Whitney Houston, who also played Fairy Godmother, Cinderella showcased an interracial coupling in their casting of the singer Brandy as Cinderella and Paolo Montalban as the Prince. Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 10 June 2022 This construction creates a tight acoustic seal that dampens vibrations and reduces structural coupling. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 This new paper realizes a scheme that uses the Fibonacci sequence in combination with the coherent coupling between qubits to slow the buildup of coherent errors. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 Each week, a coupling ceremony allows individuals to pick a new partner, or commit to their current partner for another week. Christina Dugan Ramirez, PEOPLE.com, 19 July 2022 Thanks to the air mass coupling with rich low-level moisture, there were multiple days with heat indices over 100. Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 5 July 2022 This new paper shows how to reduce errors, not by engineering but by understanding (and using) the right quantum states and their coupling to generate a system that is naturally more immune to certain types of noise. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
coupling
noun
cou·pling ˈkə-pling
1
: the act of bringing or coming together
the coupling of the freight cars
2
: something that connects two parts or things
a pipe coupling
Medical Definition
coupling
noun
cou·pling ˈkəp-liŋ, -ə-liŋ
1
: the joint together with its supporting structures between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum that joins the hindquarters of a quadruped to the trunk
broadly : the part of the body or the conformation and proportionate length of the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters
2
: the tendency of linked traits to be inherited together in offspring of a double heterozygote when both dominant genes occur on one chromosome and both recessive genes occur on the homologous chromosome compare repulsion
3
: bigeminy
coupling 1 of 2
noun
1
as in junction
a place where two or more things are united the coupling between two train cars Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- junction
- intersection
- joint
- connection
- joining
- interconnection
- join
- juncture
- confluence
- jointure
- tie
- attachment
- link
- articulation
- suture
- nexus
- union
- abutment
- seam
- meeting
- concourse
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- separation
- gap
- crack
- fissure
- rift
- cleft
- crevice
2
as in connecting
the act or an instance of joining two or more things into one credited with the coupling of several existing ideas into a single thesis Synonyms & Similar Words
- connecting
- unification
- merging
- merger
- combining
- consolidation
- combination
- connection
- linking
- amalgamation
- union
- synthesis
- junction
- mixture
- fusion
- blend
- mix
- coalescence
- compounding
- intermingling
- reunification
- commingling
- agglomeration
- mingling
- intermixture
- reunion
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- breakup
- split
- dissolution
- disconnection
- division
- partition
- separation
- parting
- schism
- detachment
- scission
- disunion
- severance
- divorcement
3
as in mating
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis the zoo announced that the giant pandas' most recent coupling was successful and that a cub was expected in March Synonyms & Similar Words
- mating
- sex
- relations
- intercourse
- copulation
- sexuality
- coitus
- sex act
- copulating
- sexual relations
- making love
- lovemaking
- sexual intercourse
- coition
- commerce
- breeding
- getting it on
- fornication
- congress
- safe sex
- carnality
- insemination
- dalliance
- whoopee
- hanky-panky
coupling
2 of 2verb
1
as in combining
to come together to form a single unit at Pittsburgh, the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers couple to form the Ohio Synonyms & Similar Words
- combining
- connecting
- fusing
- uniting
- unifying
- conjoining
- conjugating
- mating
- joining
- coalescing
- marrying
- interfusing
- associating
- yoking
- splicing
- linking (up)
- clustering
- allying
- confederating
- compounding
- reconnecting
- chaining
- leaguing
- reuniting
- hooking
- recombining
- assembling
- constellating
- rejoining
- hitching
- convening
- reunifying
- meeting
- gathering
- congregating
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- splitting
- separating
- severing
- uncoupling
- parting
- sectioning
- isolating
- dividing
- disconnecting
- resolving
- breaking up
- detaching
- dissociating
- divorcing
- sundering
- fractionating
- unlinking
- dissevering
- scattering
- disjoining
- dispersing
- disuniting
- disjointing
- unyoking
- disbanding
- disaffiliating
2
as in interconnecting
to put or bring together so as to form a new and longer whole if you couple the two extension cords, the connection should be long enough to reach the next room Synonyms & Similar Words
- connecting
- interconnecting
- integrating
- combining
- yoking
- linking
- stringing
- interlinking
- interlocking
- chaining
- conjugating
- compounding
- concatenating
- hooking
- intermeshing
- wiring
- welding
- catenating
- joining
- hitching
- dovetailing
- fusing
- articulating
- cementing
- cording
- coalescing
- uniting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- uncoupling
- disconnecting
- separating
- splitting
- disjoining
- unhitching
- dividing
- detaching
- disengaging
- parting
- disuniting
- unlinking
- disjointing
- severing
- dissevering
- unyoking
- unchaining
- rupturing
- sundering
- cleaving