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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Couch \Couch\ (kouch), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Couched} (koucht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Couching}.] [F. coucher to lay down, lie down, OF. colchier, fr. L. collocare to lay, put, place; col- + locare to place, fr. locus place. See {Locus}.]
1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place.
Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain, Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign. --Shak.
2. To arrange or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.
The waters couch themselves as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity. --T. Burnet.
3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed.
It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls. --Bacon.
4. (Paper Making) To transfer (as sheets of partly dried pulp) from the wire cloth mold to a felt blanket, for further drying.
5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly.
There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory. --L'Estrange.
6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase; -- used with in and under.
A well-couched invective. --Milton.
I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms. --Blackw. Mag.
8. (Med.) To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract.
{To couch a spear} or {To couch a lance}, to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest.
He stooped his head, and couched his spear, And spurred his steed to full career. --Sir W. Scott.
{To couch malt}, to spread malt on a floor. --Mortimer.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Couched \Couched\ (koucht), adjective (Her.) Same as {Couch?}.
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |