{
    "term": "couple",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "two people or things",
            "sensetop": "couple (of somebody/something)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I saw a couple of men get out."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a small number of people or things",
            "sensetop": "couple (of somebody/something)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We went there **a couple of years** ago."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**a couple of minutes/hours/days/weeks/months**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**a couple of people/friends/guys**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've seen her **a couple of times** before."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll be with you in a minute. There are **a couple of things** I have to do first."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We can do it in the **next couple of** weeks."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There have been some new developments in the **past couple of** days."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **last couple of** years have been difficult."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There are **a couple more** files to read first."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The country's population could fall to 30 million within a couple of decades."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I would like to make a couple of points at the outset."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I just have a couple of questions."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've played a couple of games for the reserves recently."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "two people who are seen together, especially if they are married or in a romantic or sexual relationship",
            "sensetop": "couple from…",
            "labels": "(especially North American English)(informal)(informal)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**married couples**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**same-sex/gay/lesbian couples**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **young couple**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an **elderly couple**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **royal couple** will visit New Zealand next year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Several couples were on the dance floor."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **couple was/were married** in 2022."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We met a couple from Chicago, who were travelling with their three children.",
                    "contextForm": "couple from…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "childless couples seeking to adopt"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We stood and drank a toast to the happy couple."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They make a beautiful couple."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The hotel was full of honeymoon couples."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Family and relationships"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["adorable", "attractive", "beautiful"],
                "verb + couple": ["make"],
                "phrases": ["the happy couple"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very soon",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We’ll be there in a couple of shakes."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkʌpl/",
                "audio": "co/couple/couple__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkʌpl/",
                "audio": "co/couple/couple__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French cople (noun), copler (verb), from Latin copula (noun), copulare (verb), from co- ‘together’ + apere ‘fasten’. Compare with copula and copulate."
}