could
Plural: coulds
Verb
Verb Forms: can, could
- Used to express possibility, ability, or permission in the past.
- Used to express possibility, past ability, or a polite request.
- simple past of can
- conditional of can
- Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).
- conditional of can
- Used to politely ask for permission to do something.
- conditional of can
- Used to politely ask for someone else to do something.
- conditional of can
- Used to show the possibility that something might happen.
- conditional of can
- Used to suggest something.
- past participle of can
Noun
- Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
Examples
- Before I was blind, I could see very well.
- Could I borrow your coat?
- Could you proofread this email?
- He could have played ’JAZZ’ but opted for a safer, lower-scoring word.
- He wished he could have seen that bingo, but the letters were hidden.
- I could only find the street, but I couldn't locate his house.
- I wonder, you couldn't loan me the money, could you?
- I'd have thought you could have done the dishes, at least.
- We could rearrange the time if you like.
- When I was young everybody could easily find a job in a matter of days.
- When I was your age, I could run 10mi in under an hour.
- You could try adding more salt to the soup.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English coude, couthe, cuthe, from Old English cūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form of cunnan (“to be able”) (compare related cūþ, whence English couth).
The -l- in the spelling was added in the early 16th century by analogy with should and would; this analogy formerly affected the pronunciation as well and was probably assisted by the tendency for /l/ to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading to shudd, wode, etc).
Scrabble Score: 8
could: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordcould: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
could: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary