in the course of
 在…期間,在…的過程中


 Course n.
 1. The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage.
    And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais.   --Acts xxi. 7.
 2. The ground or path traversed; track; way.
    The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket.   --Pennant.
 3. Motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance.
 A light by which the Argive squadron steers
 Their silent course to Ilium's well known shore.   --Dennham.
    Westward the course of empire takes its way.   --Berkeley.
 4. Progress from point to point without change of direction; any part of a progress from one place to another, which is in a straight line, or on one direction; as, a ship in a long voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations; also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of a race.
 5. Motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument.
    The course of true love never did run smooth.   --Shak.
 6. Customary or established sequence of events; recurrence of events according to natural laws.
    By course of nature and of law.   --Davies.
 Day and night,
 Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,
 Shall hold their course.   --Milton.
 7. Method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior.
    My lord of York commends the plot and the general course of the action.   --Shak.
    By perseverance in the course prescribed.   --Wodsworth.
    You hold your course without remorse.   --Tennyson.
 8. A series of motions or acts arranged in order; a succession of acts or practices connectedly followed; as, a course of medicine; a course of lectures on chemistry.
 9. The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn.
    He appointed . . . the courses of the priests   --2 Chron. viii. 14.
 10. That part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments.
    He [Goldsmith] wore fine clothes, gave dinners of several courses, paid court to venal beauties.   --Macaulay.
 11. Arch. A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building.
 12. Naut. The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc.
 13. pl. Physiol. The menses.
 In course, in regular succession.
 Of course, by consequence; as a matter of course; in regular or natural order.
 In the course of, at same time or times during. “In the course of human events.”
 Syn: -- Way; road; route; passage; race; series; succession; manner; method; mode; career; progress.