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Webster 1913 Edition

Couch

Couch

(kouch)
,
Verb.
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
.]
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.
Shakespeare
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.

Couch

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To lie down or recline, as on a bed or other place of rest; to repose; to lie.
Where souls do
couch
on flowers, we 'll hand in hand.
Shakespeare
If I court moe women, you 'll
couch
with moe men.
Shakespeare
2.
To lie down for concealment; to hide; to be concealed; to be included or involved darkly.
We 'll
couch
in the castle ditch, till we see the light of our fairies.
Shakespeare
The half-hidden, hallf-revealed wonders, that yet
couch
beneath the words of the Scripture.
I. Taylor.
3.
To bend the body, as in reverence, pain, labor, etc.; to stoop; to crouch.
[Obs.]
An aged squire
That seemed to
couch
under his shield three-square.
Spenser.

Couch

,
Noun.
[F.
couche
, OF.
colche
,
culche
, fr.
colchier
. See
Couch
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
A bed or place for repose or sleep; particularly, in the United States, a lounge.
Gentle sleep . . . why liest thou with the vile
In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly
couch
?
Shakespeare
Like one that wraps the drapery of his
couch

About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Bryant.
2.
Any place for repose, as the lair of a beast, etc.
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
.
4.
(Painting & Gilding)
A preliminary layer, as of color, size, etc.

Webster 1828 Edition

Couch

COUCH

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To lie down, as on a bed or place of repose.
2.
To lie down on the knees; to stop and recline on the knees, as a beast.
Fierce tigers couched around.
3.
To lie down in secret or in ambush; to lie close and concealed.
The earl of Angus couched in a furrow.
Judah couched as a lion. Genesis 44.
4.
To lie; to lie in a bed or stratum.
Blessed of the Lord be his land-for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath. Deuteronomy. 33.
5.
To stoop; to bend the body or back; to lower in reverence, or to bend under labor, pain, or a burden.
Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens. Genesis 44.
These couchings, and these lowly courtesies.

COUCH

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To lay down; to repose on a bed or place of rest.
Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain, doth couch his limbs.
2.
To lay down; to spread on a bed or floor; as, to couch malt.
3.
To lay close, or in a stratum.
The waters couch themselves, as close as may be, to the center of the globe.
4.
To hide; to lay close, or in another body.
It is in use at this day, to couch vessels in walls, to gather the wind from the top, and pass it down in spouts into rooms.
5.
To include secretly; to hide; or to express in obscure terms, that imply what is to be understood; with under.
All this, and more, lies couched under this allegory.
Hence,
6.
To involve; to include; to comprise; to comprehend or express.
This great argument for a future state, which St. Paul hath couched int he words read.
7.
To lie close.
8.
To fix a spear in the rest, in the posture of attack.
They couched their spears.
9.
To depress the condensed crystaline humor or film that overspreads the pupil of the eye. To remove a catarct, by entering a needle through the coats of the eye, and pushing the lens to the bottom of the vitreous humor, and then downwards and outwards, so as to leave it in the under and outside of the eye. The true phrase is, to couch a cataract; but we say, to couch they eye, or the patient.

COUCH

,
Noun.
1.
A bed; a place for rest or sleep.
2.
A seat of repose; a place for rest and ease, on which it is common to lie down undressed.
3.
A layer of stratum; as a couch of malt.
4.
In painting, a lay or impression of color, in oil or water, covering the canvas, wall, or other matter to be painted.
5.
Any lay, or impression, used to make a thing firm or consistent, or to screen it from the weather.
6.
A covering of gold or silver leaf, laid on any substance to be gilded or silvered.

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