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Union or connection; the state of touching or contact. "Point of contingency." J. Gregory.

ath; -- so called from the fact that it was the ancient usage for the party taking it to touch the corporal, or cloth that covered the consecrated elements.

The dead body of a human being; -- used also Fig. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster. Corpse candle. (a) A thick candle formerly used at a lich wake, or the customary watching with a corpse on the night before its interment. (b) A luminous appearance, resembling the fla…

hiding. Protected by walls or other like coverture. Woodward. Beatrice, who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture. Shak.

To stoop by bending the knees; to crouch; to squat; hence, to quail; to sink through fear. Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire. Dryden. Like falcons, cowering on the nest. Goldsmith.

Soft; gentle; hesitating. Enforced hate, Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee. Shak.

Mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity; as, he has a crack.

The torpedo, or electric ray, the touch of which gives an electric shock. See Electric fish, and Torpedo.

. (b) The ability and fidelity of merchants or others who owe largely in a community. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster.

To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend or crouch with base humility; to wince; hence; to make court in a degrading manner; to fawn. When they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boys that went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the lions. Bunyan. Sly hypocri…

The pouchlike enlargement of the gullet of birds, serving as a receptacle for food; the craw.

Marked with the sign of the cross; crouched. Crutched friar (Eccl.), one of a religious order, so called because its members bore the sign of the cross on their staves and habits; -- called also crossed friar and crouched friar.

as animals. The young ravens which cry. Ps. cxlvii. 9. In a cowslip's bell I lie There I couch when owls do cry. Shak. To cry on or upon, to call upon the name of; to beseech."No longer on Saint Denis will we cry." Shak. -- To cry out. (a) To exclaim; to vociferate; to scream; to clamor.

ak. By crystal streams that murmur through the meads. Dryden. The crystal pellets at the touch congeal, And from the ground rebounds the ratting hail. H. Brooks.

Sucked by cubs. [R.] This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch. Shak.

To bend; to crouch; to cringe. [Obs.] Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good. Shak.

laborate; wrought with elegance or skill. To devise curious works. Ex. xxxv. 32 His body couched in a curious bed. Shak.

general acceptance or circulation; authentic; passable. O Buckingham, now do I play the touch To try if thou be current gold indeed. Shak. Account current. See under Account. -- Current money, lawful money. Abbott.

A pouch or sac without opening, usually membranous and containing morbid matter, which is accidentally developed in one of the natural cavaties or in the substance of an organ.

To strike or touch gently, as with a soft or moist substance; to tap; hence, to besmear with a dabber. A sore should . . . be wiped . . . only by dabbing it over with fine lint. S. Sharp.