couch

1 of 2

verb

couched; couching; couches

transitive verb

1
: to lay (oneself) down for rest or sleep
The lion couched himself by a tree.
2
: to embroider (a design) by laying down a thread and fastening it with small stitches at regular intervals
3
: to place or hold level and pointed forward ready for use
Couching his lance, he seated himself firmly in his saddle …W. Somerset Maugham
4
: to phrase or express in a specified manner
The comments were couched in strong terms.

intransitive verb

1
: to lie down or recline for sleep or rest
the odd way a camel couches
2
: to lie in ambush
The tiger couches in the thick grass, watching its prey move closer.

couch

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an article of furniture for sitting or reclining
b
: a couch on which a patient reclines when undergoing psychoanalysis
2
: the den of an animal (such as an otter)
Phrases
on the couch
: receiving psychoanalytic treatment

Examples of couch in a Sentence

Verb I'm trying to couch this delicately: I don't think we should date anymore. I couched behind the partition so as to avoid an awkward situation with my ex. Noun find yourself a place on the couch and make yourself at home
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Some American journalists and politicians couched their desire to round up and imprison Japanese Americans in humanitarian terms: to protect them from potential mob violence. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024 But the research, released by secondhand wholesaler Garson & Shaw, also revealed a degree of hypocrisy couched within those sentiments. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2024
Noun
Instead, the two friends sit on the couch with beer and uncertain futures as the episode ends. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024 Uber Eats: Voters who can’t leave the couch while watching the results roll in on Tuesday night deserve a deal, too. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for couch 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French cucher, from Latin collocare to set in place — more at collocate

Noun

Middle English couche bed, from Anglo-French kuche, from cucher

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of couch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near couch

Cite this Entry

“Couch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couch. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

couch

1 of 2 verb
1
: to lie down for rest or sleep
2
: to bring down : lower
a knight charging with couched lance
3
: to phrase in a specified manner
a letter couched in polite terms

couch

2 of 2 noun
: a piece of furniture (as a sofa) that one can sit or lie on

Medical Definition

couch

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to treat (a cataract or a person who has a cataract) by displacing the lens of the eye into the vitreous body

couch

2 of 2 noun
: an article of furniture used (as by a patient undergoing psychoanalysis) for sitting or reclining

More from Merriam-Webster on couch

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