from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Couch \Couch\ (kouch), v. t. [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}.]
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1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place.
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Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain,
Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.
--Shak.
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2. To arrange or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed
by the reflexive pronoun.
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The waters couch themselves as may be to the center
of this globe, in a spherical convexity. --T.
Burnet.
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3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed.
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It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch
potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls.
--Bacon.
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4. (Paper Making) To transfer (as sheets of partly dried
pulp) from the wire cloth mold to a felt blanket, for
further drying.
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5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly.
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There is all this, and more, that lies naturally
couched under this allegory. --L'Estrange.
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6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase;
-- used with in and under.
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A well-couched invective. --Milton.
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I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather
cool terms. --Blackw. Mag.
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8. (Med.) To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque
lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract.
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{To couch a spear} or {To couch a lance}, to lower to the
position of attack; to place in rest.
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He stooped his head, and couched his spear,
And spurred his steed to full career. --Sir W.
Scott.
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{To couch malt}, to spread malt on a floor. --Mortimer.
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