Couch

[imp. & p. p. COUCHED (koucht); p. pr. & vb. n. COUCHING.] [Fr. coucher, to lay down, to lie down, O. Fr. colcher, colchier, Pr. colgar, colcar, It. collocare, corcare, coricare, L. Lat. calcare, from Lat. collocare, to lay, put, place. See COLLOCATE.]

1Sense 1. To lay down or deposit upon or in a bed, or other resting-place; to spread; to place; to adjust.

Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain, Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign. Shak.

And over all with brazen scales was armed, Like plated coat of steel, so couched near That nought might pierce. Spenser.

If the weather be warm, we immediately couch malt about a foot thick. Mortimer.

2Sense 2. To compose to rest; — followed by the reflexive pronoun.

The waters couch themselves as close as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity. Burnet.

3Sense 3. To arrange or place in language; to express; to phrase; to state.

That great argument for a future state which St. Paul hath couched in the words I have read to you. Atterbury.

To couch a cataract (Surg.), to depress it by means of a needle in order to its removal. — To couch a spear, or lance, to lay or place the butt in the projection on the side of armor called a rest, so bringing it into the position for attack or defense. “Before each van, Prick forth the airy knights, and couch their spears.” Milton. — To couch under, to express obscurely in; to intimate or suggest by. “There is all this and more that lies naturally couched under this allegory.” L’Estrange.

v. i. 1. To lie down or recline, as on a bed or other place of rest; to repose, “Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand.” Shak.

Fierce tigers couched around, and lolled their fawning tongues. Dryden.

The sun is couched, the sea-fowl gone to rest. Wordsworth.

2Sense 2. To lie down for concealment; to hide; to be concealed.

We'll couch in the castle ditch, till we see the light of our fires. Shak.

The half-hidden, half-revealed wonders, that yet couch beneath the words of the Scripture. I. Taylor.

3Sense 3. To lie spread abroad. “The deep that coucheth beneath.” Deut. xxxiii. 13.

4Sense 4. To bend the body, as in reverence, pain, labor, &c.

An aged squire That seemed to couch under his shield three-square. Spenser.

These couchings, and these lowly courtesies, Might stir the blood of ordinary men. Shak.