couch
part of speech
noun (a couch, couches); verb (couch, couches, couched, couching)
meaning for a pupil
1) A long comfortable seat for two or more people to sit on; a sofa. tree →
2) A long padded seat or bed in a doctor's room for lying on. tree →
3) Couch potato (informal): a person who sits watching TV a lot and does little exercise. tree →
4) (verb, formal) To express something in a certain way: couched in polite words. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday homes (especially in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) the family sits on the couch to watch TV. In health lessons "couch potato" warns about too little exercise. Phrases: on the couch, couch potato, sleep on the couch.
examples
- We all sat on the couch to watch the film. tree →
- The dog isn't allowed on the couch. tree →
- Don't be a couch potato — go outside and play! tree →
- The doctor asked me to lie on the couch. tree →
- My uncle slept on the couch when he visited. tree →
- (formal) The letter was couched in very polite language. tree →
- In he came flying, and lay down beneath the cushions of my couch." tree →
note
Plural couches (add -es). Sofa (UK) and couch (US, Australia, NZ) mean the same; settee is an older British word. "Couch potato" is informal and teasing.
In the corpora
- He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
- Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds.
- He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
- I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; I melt away my couch with my tears.
- When I remember Thee upon my couch, and meditate on Thee in the night-watches.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «couch» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.