couch

n. [ F. couche, OF. colche, culche, fr. colchier. See Couch, v. t. ] 1. A bed or place for repose or sleep; particularly, in the United States, a lounge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gentle sleep . . . why liest thou with the vile
In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly couch? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any place for repose, as the lair of a beast, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A mass of steeped barley spread upon a floor to germinate, in malting; or the floor occupied by the barley; as, couch of malt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Painting & Gilding) A preliminary layer, as of color, size, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Couched 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place. [ 1913 Webster ]

Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain,
Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To arrange or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun. [ 1913 Webster ]

The waters couch themselves as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity. T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Paper Making) To transfer (as sheets of partly dried pulp) from the wire cloth mold to a felt blanket, for further drying. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase; -- used with in and under. [ 1913 Webster ]

A well-couched invective. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms. Blackw. Mag. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Med.) To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract. [ 1913 Webster ]

To couch a spear or
To couch a lance, to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest. [ 1913 Webster ]

He stooped his head, and couched his spear,
And spurred his steed to full career. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

To couch malt, to spread malt on a floor. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of lying down for repose. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F., p. pr. of coucher. See Couch, v. t. ] 1. Lying down with head erect; squatting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) Lying down with the head raised, which distinguishes the posture of couchant from that of dormant, or sleeping; -- said of a lion or other beast. [ 1913 Webster ]

Couchant and levant (Law), rising up and lying down; -- said of beasts, and indicating that they have been long enough on land, not belonging to their owner, to lie down and rise up to feed, -- such time being held to include a day and night at the least. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F., p. p. of coucher. See Couch, v. t. ] (Her.) (a) Not erect; inclined; -- said of anything that is usually erect, as an escutcheon. (b) Lying on its side; thus, a chevron couché is one which emerges from one side of the escutcheon and has its apex on the opposite side, or at the fess point. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Same as Couch&unr_;. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. couch&unr_;e a sleeping place from coucher. See Couch, v. t. ] A reception held at the time of going to bed, as by a sovereign or great prince. [ Obs. ] Dryden. The duke's levees and couchees were so crowded that the antechambers were full. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who couches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Paper Manuf.) One who couches paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Cf. L. collectarius. ] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A factor or agent resident in a country for traffic. Blount. (b) The book in which a corporation or other body registers its particular acts. [ Obs. ] Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]