Middle English Dictionary Entry
cǒuche n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cǒuche n. Also chouche, cuche. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Couch, bed; in ~, in bed; (b) a small portable bed, pallet; small mattress; (c) a bed of litter for an animal; a resting place for cattle; (d) a thing on which something else rests, rest, support.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)171/12 : Ich..wille wesse eche niȝt mi bed and mine couche mid mine teares.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)35.4 : He þouȝt wickednes in his couche [L cubili].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3015 : And of his [Sleep's] couche Withinne his chambre..Of hebenus..The bordes al aboute be..Upon a fethrebed alofte He lith with many a pilwe of doun.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.88 : Al were it good no womman for to touche..as in his bed or in his couche.
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)318 : Wight of no degree So looth as I to twynne fro my cowche.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)70/5 : Þanne ȝe liggen longe in couchis.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)205 : In a litel herber..I bad men sholde me my couche make.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)26/26 : Hur husbond come home passand seke & bad hur make hym a cuche þat he myght lig on.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)28b : A Cowche: Cubile, Cubatorium.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)3.10.54b : Leid in cowches ful of sharpp thornes and fier vndir nethen.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)580 : Thei [the 12 princes] assembled alle at the tente of kynge looth, and satte down on a cowche [F couce] that was covered with a cloth of silke.
- a1500 As I walkyd vppon (Hnt HM 183)88 : Accidia..kepith me yn cowch like a cowchour.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 5.15 : Into streetis thei brouȝten out sike men and puttiden in litle beddis and cowchis [L grabatis].
- ?a1400 *Albi Reynolds 5081 Recipes (Albi Reynolds 5081)f.23v : Mak hym a kowch aȝens a good fyr as hoot as he may suffre.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)96 : Cowche:..grabatum.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4329 : Iche day leygyng at þe chirche-dure in a couche he was.
- (1463) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)41 : Occupyng of beddis if the prysoners have couches.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)85/16 : Eche may haue a sacke I-filled wiþ straw or wiþ hey, oþer ellis a cowche in stede of a sacke.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.65.10 : Ben shul..the valei of Achor in to the couche [WB(2): restyng place; L cubile] of droues to my puple.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)51 : Þe skabbe commeth to hem whan..here litter and couche is vnclene kept.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)101 : Þat þe kenel be clene and..þe couch renewid with fressh strawe.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2706 : Sir Ywayn puld gres in þe felde, And made a kouche opon his shelde; Þareon his lyoun laid he þare.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)641 : A whelp That lay vndir a steyir..bote hym wondir spetously, defendyng wele his couch.
d
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)114/1 : Þis ventricle is sett bitwene two addiamentis of þe brayn; þe whiche addiamentis..ben [to] þis ventricle as it were a sittynge place eiþir a couche [L culcitra] vpon þe which he is drawen abrood.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)148/2 : On þe liftside of þe necke ben ordeined ij nollis..& þei ben a couche & a restynge place to þe senewis þat comen out of þe nucha.
2.
(a) A bedroom, inner chamber; also fig. fornication, lechery; (b) the lair or den of a wild beast.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.6.6 : Entre in to thi couche [L cubiculum] and the dore schet, preye thi fadir in hidlis.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.13.13 : Wandre we honestly..not in couchis [WB(2): beddis; Bible SNT(1): kouchynges abedde; L cubilibus] and vnchastitees.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)3 Kings 20.30 : Benadab fleynge wente..into the cowch [WB(2): a closet; L cubiculum] that was beside the bed place [WB(2): with ynne a closet; L cubiculum].
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.43 : Whanne þou shalt preie, entre into þi couche and shitte þe dore.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)277b/b : If þe whelpes goþ out of þe couche [L latibulo] ofte þe mooder feccheþ hem aȝein.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)290a/a : Þe place of þe couche [L cubilis] trembleþ..by..rorynge of þe fader.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)181 : Men myȝte noȝte his [a wild boar's] cowch kenne..for slayn men Þat he hade draun to his denne.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxvii : He shal be..as a lyoun in his chouche as to trecherie.
3.
(a) A table cover, tablecloth; (b) cook.?a layer of tart filling.
Associated quotations
a
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)187 : Lay a clothe on þe table, a cowche it is called & said.
b
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)120 : Mak the Cowche of fat chese..Canel and pure crym..and of Helys ysodyn and grynd hem wel wyth Safroun and mak the chowche of..Rys and of gode Spycys as other Tartys fallyth to be.
4.
A hump, hunch.
Associated quotations
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)76/24 : A powyr man..whech had a gret cowche on hys bakke.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 *Nicod.(5) (Wor F.172)5a : Josephe whiche buried the body of Ihesu ye han shit in a Denne or a Couche markyng the key, and at the openyng yee founde hym nat.
Note: Postdates sense.
Note: Belongs to sense 2.(a).--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 164/3 : To make þy cowche. Thow must have a large canuas, and..take strawe of barlyth and make a bedde þerof nexte þe flouer, and..take þe canuas and ley þervppon.
Note: Postdates sense 1.(d). Clarke gloss = 'ground, support, working surface (not here the 'ground' or 'support' of a painting, but the literal floor or other work-surface on which a work in progress is laid)'. ?Add new spelling (cowche).