Couchant
adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Lying with belly down and front legs extended; crouching. not-comparable
"The dogs, with eager yelp, / Are struggling to be free; / The hawks in frequent stoop / Token their haste for flight; / And couchant on the saddle-bow, / With tranquil eyes, and talons sheath’d, / The ounce expects his liberty."
- 2 Represented as crouching with the head raised. not-comparable
"His crest was covered with a couchant Hownd, / And all his armour seem'd of antique mould […]"
- 1 lying on the stomach with head raised with legs pointed forward wordnet
Example
More examples"The dogs, with eager yelp, / Are struggling to be free; / The hawks in frequent stoop / Token their haste for flight; / And couchant on the saddle-bow, / With tranquil eyes, and talons sheath’d, / The ounce expects his liberty."
Etymology
From Middle English couchant, from Middle French couchant.
Related phrases
More for "couchant"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.