See Also: intercourse(medicine)
intercourse(dictionary)
intercourse(dictionary)
Intercourse(health)
INTERCOURSE(law)
Fear of intercourse(health)
sexual intercourse(encyclopedia)
sexual intercourse(medicine)
sexual intercourse(dictionary)
Fear of sexual intercourse(health)

intercourse (iou)



intercourse noun & verb. Also (earlier) entercourse. LME.
[Old & mod. French entrecours exchange, commerce, from Latin intercursus, from intercurs- pa. ppl stem of intercurrere intervene, formed as INTER- + currere to run.]
A. noun.
I.
Communication or dealings (orig. spec. of a mercantile kind) between countries, localities, etc. LME.
W. Lippmann An increasing freedom of trade and intercourse within a state makes for an increasing participation in the common life of mankind.
a. sing. & (now rare or obsolete) in pl. Social communication between individuals; habitual contact in conversation, correspondence, or action. M16.
H. James The intercourse between these two ladies had been neither frequent nor intimate. R. Hughes Mrs Thornton thought it good for them to have some intercourse with other children outside their own family.
b. = SEXUAL intercourse. L18.
Joyce He..did not scruple..to attempt illicit intercourse with a female domestic. Boston Globe The ailment can be transmitted by male homosexual intercourse.
Communion between a human being and God or other spiritual being. M16.
Exchange of ideas; discussion. L16-L17.
Intercommunication between things or parts; a means of intercommunication; an entrance. L16-L18.
Continuous interchange of letters, looks, etc. Now rare or obsolete. L16.
I. D'Israeli These letters were afterwards followed by an intercourse of civilities.
Interchange of one thing with another, alternation. L16-M17.
II.
Intervention; an intervening course or space, an interval. M16-M18.
B. verb.
verb trans. & intrans. Run (through or across). rare. L16-E17.
verb intrans. Have social intercourse (with). rare. L16-L18.