Couch v. t. [imp. & p. p. Couched p. pr. & vb. n. Couching.]
 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.   --Shak.
 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.]
 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·ing, n.
 1. Med. The operation of putting down or displacing the opaque lens in cataract.
 2. Embroidering by laying the materials upon the surface of the foundation, instead of drawing them through.

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