They are very similar but when I think of courses and dishes I think this: A dish is a plate of food and a course could be a series of dishes. So in the "main course" you may receive a dish of meat and a dish of rice. Courses are basically "sections" of your entire meal. Typically, for dinner you may have a "three course meal." This will include (for example): A starter course: Appetizers or light salad Main course: meat dish and rice dish with vegetables maybe Dessert: Something sweet to end the meal