Couching

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Couching \Couch"ing\, n.
     1. (Med.) The operation of putting down or displacing the
        opaque lens in cataract.
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     2. Embroidering by laying the materials upon the surface of
        the foundation, instead of drawing them through.
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