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Not erect; inclined; -- said of anything that is usually erect, as an escutcheon.

Same as Couch.

of going to bed, as by a sovereign or great prince. [Obs.] Dryden. The duke's levees and couchees were so crowded that the antechambers were full. Bp. Burnet.

One who couches.

Delivery in childbed

A man who assists women in childbirth; a man midwife; an obstetrician.

A midwife. [Recent] Dunglison.

A support for the spear when couched for the attack. [Obs.] Chaucer.

bric; especially, a screen or hangings of heavy cloth with interwoven figures. Stateliest couches, with rich arras spread. Cowper. Behind the arras I'll convey myself. Shak.

o conceal; to include or involve darkly. There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory. L'Estrange.

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

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

the fingers, especially one for delicate operations, as those of watchmakers, surgeons, accoucheurs, dentists, etc.

mall flag; also, a spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen. A braver soldier never couched lance. Shak.

To let hang from the mouth, as the tongue. Fierce tigers couched around and lolled their fawning tongues. Dryden.

on. This is a known rule in divinity, that there is no command that runs in negatives but couches under it a positive duty. South.

ke less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. Shak. Why, 't is an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. Shak. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of learned men as this.…

One skilled in obstetrics; an accoucheur.

a creeper. See Virginia creeper, under Virginia. [Local, U. S.] Beatrice, who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture. Shak.