ENGLISH
REFERENCE

couch

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈkaʊtʃ// UK //kˈaʊtʃ// couch Archaic

n. a long, soft piece of furniture that two or more people can sit on together. You usually find this in a living room for relaxing or watching TV.

n. a long upholstered piece of furniture designed for several people to sit on; a sofa. Often used as a synonym for 'sofa', though 'couch' is more common in North American English.


SIMPLE

We sat on the couch to watch a movie.

CONTEXTUAL

The living room feels much larger now that we have replaced the old couch with a modern one.

COMPLEX

The interior designer suggested a velvet couch in a deep emerald green to serve as the focal point of the minimalist apartment.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English couche, cowche, from Old French couche, from the verb (see below). Doublet of cwtch.

Etymology 2

From Middle English couchen, from Old French (se) couchier, (se) colchier (“go to bed, lay down”), from Latin collocāre (“set in place”), from com- (“together, with”) + locāre. Doublet of collocate.

Etymology 3

From a variant of quitch, from Middle English quich, quyke, from Old English cwice.

Usage

Commonly used in the phrase 'on the couch' to refer to a patient undergoing psychoanalysis.

Idioms1 entry

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