In sailing, a course sail is the principal sail on a mast. Wooden sailing boat Sailing is the skillful art of controlling the motion of a sailing ship or smaller boat, across a body of water using wind as the source of power. ...
This term is used predominantly on square rigged vessels, referring to the largest and lowest sail on each mast (mizzen-course, main-course and fore-course). Gaff-rigged vessels might possibly use the term (for the lowest sail rigged aft of each mast), but are more likely to refer simply to a mainsail, foresail, etc. A Bermuda- or lateen-rigged yacht, whether sloop, cutter, ketch or yawl, would not usually be described as having a course. Square rig is a generic type of sailing vessel in which the main horizontal spars are perpendicular to the keel of the ship. ... Gaff rig is a sailing rig in which the mainsail is a four-cornered fore-and-aft rigged sail controlled at its head by a spar called the gaff. ... A sloop-rigged J-24 sailboat In sailing, a sloop is a vessel with a single mast on which is hoisted a fore-and-aft rigged mainsail and a single jib, plus extras such as a spinnaker. ... For other meanings, see cutter (baseball), cutter (tool) and self-harm. ... Square Topsl Gaff Ketch Hawaiian Chieftain on San Francisco Bay A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: A main mast, and a mizzen mast abaft the main mast. ... A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mizzen mast well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom. ...
in sailing, a course is the principal sail on a mast
in dining, a course is a single dish in a row of subsequently served dishes, constituting, for example, a three-course menu.
a course is a pair of adjacent strings tuned to unison or an octave and usually plucked together as if a single string, in musical instruments such as the lute and vihuela.