couched; couching; couches
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
W. Somerset Maugham4
: to phrase or express in a specified manner
The comments were couched in strong terms.
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.
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)
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
Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
The entire learning journey for students is couched towards ‘synthesis’ - an essential term in interdisciplinary working, and synthesis is often mentioned in discussions of creativity.
—Bryan Penprase, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2025
Fans would rather see screenshots of your FIFA matches and unflattering angles of you sitting on the couch than the umpteenth brand collaboration or photo shoot.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for couch
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Verb
Listen to this article San Diego FC’s season is no longer being couched with qualifiers.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
The entire learning journey for students is couched towards ‘synthesis’ - an essential term in interdisciplinary working, and synthesis is often mentioned in discussions of creativity.
—Bryan Penprase, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
Instead, MacFarlane was saying Aaron Friar had been in the living room asleep on the couch and that MacFarlane had crept in armed with a baseball bat.
—Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2025
Fans would rather see screenshots of your FIFA matches and unflattering angles of you sitting on the couch than the umpteenth brand collaboration or photo shoot.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for couch
Cite this Entry
“Couch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couch. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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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
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