couple
part of speech
noun (couple, couples); verb (couple, coupled — to join)
meaning for a pupil
1) A couple is 2 people who are together, like a married pair. tree →
2) A couple of things means two of them. tree →
3) In everyday talk, «a couple of» can mean a few. tree →
4) To couple is to join two things, like train cars. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In Exodus it means to join things together. Interpretation: The curtains of the tabernacle were joined into one tent. Tradition sees in this that many parts form one dwelling for God's presence. In the primary lessons: maths: two people, or two things; «a couple of» usually means 2; one couple = 2 people, so people = 2 × couples; everyday life: a couple of minutes, a couple of friends; stories: an old couple, a newly married couple
examples
- And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. (Torah EXO.36.16, JPS 1917) tree →
- And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one. (Torah EXO.36.18, JPS 1917) tree →
- And he coupled five curtains one to another; and the other five curtains he coupled one to another. (Torah EXO.36.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus — the same is Jerusalem; and there were with him a couple of asses saddled; his concubine also was with him. (Prophets JDG.19.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- A couple bought 2 tickets each. tree →
- There are 8 couples at the dance, so 16 people. tree →
- She ate a couple of cookies. tree →
- Each couple brought a dish. tree →
- I'll be ready in a couple of minutes. tree →
- An old couple lives next door. tree →
- The couple danced together. tree →
- The train cars are coupled together. tree →
- The couple had one boy called Jem. tree →
note
A hidden number: one couple = 2 people, so people = 2 × couples. Trap: «a couple of» in everyday talk can mean a few, but in maths problems take it as 2.
In the corpora
- Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
- And he coupled five curtains one to another; and the other five curtains he coupled one to another.
- And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps; so the tabernacle was one.
- And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
- And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «couple» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.