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couch down

C1 formal intransitive
In simple words

To bend down low or lie flat, usually to hide.

Literal meaning: To couch means to lie down or recline; 'down' reinforces the downward movement — fully transparent.

Meanings

1 C1 formal

To bend down low or press the body close to the ground, especially to avoid being seen.

"The soldiers couched down in the long grass and waited for the signal."

Usage notes

Rare and somewhat archaic or literary. More commonly encountered in older texts. Modern speakers typically say 'crouch down' or 'hunker down' instead.

Commonly used with

ground grass shadows low quietly behind

Forms

Base
couch down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
couches down
he/she/it
Past simple
couched down
yesterday
Past participle
couched down
have + pp
-ing form
couching down
continuous

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