A Lion's Head 
Conped. 
coupe 
Now tiy-gynneth (iloton for to go to slir> (tr, 
And kayres liyia to-kirke w;ml his <(,(*/* to shewv. 
I'lnu-iniln (I'' 
COUp6 (ko-pa'), n. [F., prop. pp. of coupcr, cut: 
sec >/<!, t'.] 1. The front compartment of a 
French stage-coach or diligence ; an end com- 
partment of a European first-class railway-car- 
riage, generally seated for four. 2. A low, 
short, four-wheeled, close carriage without the 
front seat, mid carrying two inside, with an out- 
side scut for the driver. 3. Same as coit/m-. 
couped (kopt), a. [E. pp. from F. coupcr, cut. 
Seeoowpl.j Inhcr.: () Cut off evenly: saidof 
the head or limb of an animal, the 
trunk of a tree, etc. : in opposi- 
tion to erased (which see). (6) 
Not extending to the edge of the 
escutcheon : said of an ordinary, 
as a cross, bend, etc. See Intinct- 
tee. Also co /!<. couped. close, 
cut short: said of a head when no part 
of the neck is visible. Also close^ouped. 
coupee (ko-pe'), n. [Also, as F., coupe; < F. 
eonpi, a coupee, prop. pp. of couper, cut: see 
fniijii'.] In dancing, a movement which a dan- 
cer makes resting on one foot and passing the 
other forward or backward, making a sort of 
salutation. Also spelled coupe. 
coupee (ko-pe'), r. t. [< coupee, n.] To make 
a sort of bow or salutation in dancing. 
Yon shall swear, I'll sigh ; yon shall sa '. sa ! and I'll 
coupee. Farquhar, Constant Couple, iv. 1. 
coupee (ko-pa'), a. [F. coupe (masc.) : orig. pp. 
of couper, cut: see coup 1 , .] In her., same as 
coupea. 
COUpe-gorge (kiip'gorzh), n. [F., lit. cut- 
throat; < couper, cut, T gorge, throat: see 
coup 1 , v., and gorge.~\ If. A cutthroat. Coles, 
1717. 2. Milit., a position affording an enemy 
so many advantages that the troops who occupy 
it must either surrender or be cut to pieces. 
couper 1 (k&'per), n. [Appar. < coup*, v., cut, 
overturn, + -cr l .~\ A lever on the upper part of 
a loom, used to lift the harness. 
couper 1 * (kS'per), n. [Also coper; < coi/p 2 + 
-eri.] One who buys and sells; a dealer: as, 
a horae-eouuer. [Prov. Eug.] 
Coupler's blue. See blue. 
couple (kup'l), n. [< ME. couple, cupple, cou>- 
]>nl, etc., < OF. cuple, cople, couple, F. couple = 
Sp. cdpula = Pg. ropula = It. copiria, couple 
(copula, copula), = Fries, keppel = D. koppel = 
MLG. LG. koppel = MHG. kopel. kuppcl, G. kop- 
pel = Dan. kobbel = Sw. koppel, s L. copula (ML. 
also cupla, after OF.), a band, bond, ML. a 
couple: see copula.] 1. Two of the same class 
or kind connected or considered together; a 
brace: as, a couple of oranges; "a couple of 
shepherds," Sir P. Sidney. 
Make me a .-..,,/, of cakes. 2 Sam. xlil. 6. 
Our watch to-night . . . have ta'eu a couple of as ar- 
rant knaves as any in Messina. Shak., Much Ado, ill. 5. 
Though by my vow it costs me 12d. a kiss after the flrst, 
yet I did adventure upon a couple, fepys, Diary, II. 208. 
By adding oue to one, we have the complex Idea of a 
couple. Locke. 
Specifically 2. (a) A man and woman asso- 
ciated together, whether by marriage or by be- 
trothal, or accompanying each other on a given 
occasion, as at a party: as, a loving couple; a 
young couple. 
Whan thei were clothed worthli in here wedes, 
Alle men vpon mold niigt sen a fair coupel 
Than was bi-twene william & this worthl mayde. 
William o/ Palerne (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 3203. 
Next, with their ix>y, a decent couple came, 
Anil call'd him Rolwrt, 'twas his father's name. 
Craobf, 1'arish Register. 
A couple, fair 
As ever painter painted. 
Tennyson, Aylmer's Field. 
(6) A pair of forces, equal, parallel, and acting 
in opposite directions : they tend to make the 
body acted upon rotate. [A term introduced 
in French by Poinsot in 1804.] 
The three forces, of which one is the resultant of the 
equal and parallel forces acting at a point, am) tin- otlu-r 
two constitute a couple of which thr mouit-nt is the same 
as the resulting moment, with referenrt 1 to tlu- point, fully 
represent any system of forces in their tendency to pro- 
ilurr rotation and translation. 
1'eiree, Anal. Mechanics (1855X p. 41. 
(c) In rlt'ct., a p;iir of metallic plates in contact, 
used as a source of an electrical current, as in 
one of tin' cells of a voltaic battery (a voltaic 
couple), or in ;i thermo-electric battery ia ther- 
mo-electric couple). See electricity and thermo- 
(iictriciti/. 
\ ,;.,,,,', . OTI-MS of the whole of the bodies which <'\M 
between two zincs that is to say. zini-, copper, water. 
1309 
/i>.. It may be supposed that each of the zinc plain Is 
tin- half of two succewlve amvlrt. 
r. o( Ma-arl and Joubert, I. 252. 
(d) pi. In carp., rafters framed together in pairx 
by means of a tie at or near their lower ends. 
To bye hewed -lone, ,v tymbrc for to make couplet anil 
In 'nines for tin- houses. -i Cliron. xillv. 11 < i:..,i i. 
3. pi. Association by twos; junction of two. 
I'll go in couple* with h> i. Shale., W. I., n. 1. 
ith ! you | rjM'tual cure, 
Fall to your rmtptet au r iiin, and cozen kindly, 
And heartily, ;unl lovingly, as you should. 
It. Joiuon, Alchemist, I. 1. 
It is in some sort with friends as it U with dogs in 
couple* : they should be of the same size and humour. 
Sir /(. // Kstrange. 
Couple of rotations, two equal rotations in opposite 
directions about parallel axes.- Moment of a couple 
(offerees). See moment. = Syn. 1. II face, etc. SeejwiV. 
couple (kup'l), r. ; pret. and pp. coupled, ppr. 
coupling. [< ME. couplcn, cuplcn, cotrplen, (. OF. 
cupler, eopkr, coupler, F. coupler = Sp. Pg. copu- 
lar = It. copulare = Fries, keplu = D. kopjiefen 
= MLG. koppelen = MHO. kopelcn, O. koppeln = 
Dan. koble = 8w. koppla. < L. copulare, bind, con- 
nect, < copula, a band, bond: see couple, n.] I. 
trans. 1. To link or connect, as one thing with 
another; fasten together, especially in a pair or 
pairs ; unite : as, to couple cars. 
For alle that comen of that Caym a-cursed thei wereu, 
And iille that couplede hem to that kun [kin] Crist hem 
hatede dedllche. Piers Plomnan (A), i. 151. 
The live curtains shall be coupled together one to an- 
other. Ex. \ \ vi. 3. 
They lost no opportunity of coupling his name with the 
names of the most hateful tyrants of whom history makes 
mention. Macaulay, Warren Hastings. 
2. To marry; join together as husband and 
wife ; unite in matrimony. 
A jiarson who rou/*fc* all our beggars. Swift. 
3. In organ-playing, to connect by means of a 
coupler, as two keys or keyboards. See cou- 
pler (a). 
II. iiitrans. 1. To embrace, as the sexes; 
copulate. 
Thou with thy lusty crew . . . 
Cast wanton eyes on the daughters of men, 
And coupled with them and begot a race. 
Milton, P. R., II. 181. 
Why then let men couple at once with wolves. 
Tennyson, I'elleas and Ettarre. 
2. In organ-playiny, to be susceptible of con- 
nection by means of a coupler, as one key or 
keyboard with another. 
couple-beggart (kup'l-beg'ar), n. [< couple, 
v. t., + obg. beggar.'} One who makes it his busi- 
ness to unite beggars in marriage; a hedge- 
priest. 
No couple-betrffar in the land 
E'er jolu'd such numbers hand In hand. 8w\ft. 
In another Dublin newspaper of 1744 (Faulkener's Jour- 
nal, Oct. 6th and 9th] we read, "This last term a notorious 
couple, beggar . . . was excommunicated in the (Consistory 
Court by ihe Vicar-Ueneral of this diocese on account of 
his persisting in this scandalous trade, which he had taken 
up to the undoing of many good fami- 
lies. He was so keen at this mischie- 
vous sport of marrying all people that 
came in his way, that lie has been 
known to refuse three times a higher 
fee not to solemnise a clandestine mar- 
riage than he was to receive or did re- 
ceive for doing it. ' 
Leety, Eng. In 18th Cent, vll. 
couple-close (kup'l-klos), . 1. 
In arch., a pair of spars for a 
roof; couples.- 2. In her., the 
fourth of a chevron, never borne 
but in pairs unless there is a chevron between 
them. Also written couple-doss. 
Coupled Window*. 
Building on Washington street. Bonon. 
Coupled Columns, uth century. Cathedral of Motueale, Sicily. 
coupling 
COUpled (kup'ld). />. a. [Pp. of rouplf, r.] 
United, as two tilings ; joined; linked; specifi- 
cally, in her., same as r<nij<>nu-il. Coupled col- 
umns, columns uniteil in pairs, the capital* (DOM 
ten nmntag together. The device Is unul in KoiiinneM{ue 
architecture and in later medieval work, particularly in 
Italy, and is mm h employed by Renaissance architecU. 
Hee cut in preceding 
eohinm. Coupled 
windows, 11 pair of 
windows placed side 
by side, and so unit- 
ed a* to form an ar- 
chitectural whole : 
a disposition usual 
In medieval archi- 
tecture of widely 
different periods. 
Among the canon- 
ical buildings on the 
south side of the 
church Is one . . . 
with a grand range 
of Romanesque cou- 
pled window*, bear- 
ing date 1250. 
E. A.. Freeman,\en- 
[ice, p. 108. 
couplement 
(kup'1-ment), n. 
[< OF. couplement, < coupler, couple : see couple, 
r., and -Hirnt.] 1. The act of coupling; union. 
Joy may you have, and gentle hearts content 
Of your loves couplement. Spcnter, Prothalamlon. 
2. A pair. 
Anon two female forms before our view 
Came side by side, a beauteous couidement. 
Soulhey. 
[Rare in both uses.] 
coupler (kup'ler), n. One who or that which 
couples, joins, or Unites. Specifically (a) In organ- 
building, a mechanical contrivance by which the keys of 
one keyboard are so connected with corresponding keys 
of another that when the former are depressed the latter 
are also depressed, and thus both can be played by a sin- 
gle motion. Manual coupler* connect manual keyboards 
with each other ; pedal coupler* connect the pedal key- 
board to a manual. Unison couplers connect keys of the 
same pitch ; octave coupler* (sometimes loosely called 
*uper-octave or tub-octave) connect keys an octave apart. 
Octave couplers are sometimes arranged between the keys 
of a single keytoard, so that It may be coupled with itself. 
Couplers operate in only one direction : that is, the second 
keyboard may lie coupled with the first, but not the re- 
verse. Also copula, (b) A ring which slides upon the 
handles of a nipping tool of any kind to maintain Its grip 
upon the work, (r) Same as ami/ling, 4 (6). 
couplet (kup'let), . [< F. couplet, a stanza, 
verse, dim. of couple, a couple: see couple, .] 
1. In pros., two lines in immediate succession, 
usually but not necessarily of the same length, 
forming a pair, and generally marked as such 
by riming with each other. A pair of lines joined 
by rime Is considered a couplet, whether it forms part of 
a stanza or constitutes a metrical group by itself. See 
distich. 
Thoughtless of 111, and to the future blind, 
A sudden couplet rushes on your mind. 
Here you may nameless print your idle rhymes. 
Crabbe. 
2. In music, two equal notes inserted in the 
midst of triple 
rhythm to occupy 
the time of three ; 
a temporary dis- ^ , 
placement of tri- 
ple by duple rhythm. 3f. One of a pair, as of 
twins; a twin. 
Anon, as patient as the female dove. 
When that her golden couplet* are disclos'd. 
His silence will sit drooping. Shak., Hamlet, T. 1. 
{Couplet* in this use corresponds to triplets. ] 
coupling (knp'ling), w. [Verbal n. of couple, 
'. ] 1. The act of uniting or joining. 
Lute propirly es a full cuppillynye of the lufande and 
the Infed to-gedyre as Oodd and a saule In-to ane. 
Jlampole, Prose Treatises (E. E. T. 8.X P. 84. 
2. The act of marrying. 
There's such coupling at Pancras, that they stand behind 
one another, as 'twere in a Country Dance. 
Confrere, Way of the World, i. 2. 
3. The act of embracing sexually : copulation. 
4. That which couples or connects, as raf- 
ters in a building. 
Even to the artificers and builders gave they It, to buy 
hewn stone, and timber for nmpling*. 2 Chron. xxxlv. 11. 
Specifically (n) In munir : (1) A coupler. (2) A couple. 
(6) The general name for a great variety of mechanical 
appliances for uniting parts of constructions or parts of 
machines, for the purpose of aildinu strength, of trans- 
mittinv; motion from one part to another, or of makinu 
a continuous passage, as for a liquid, a gas. or an cleeirie 
current. A Imekle. Mmling-screw. or flsh-plitte may illns 
Irate the first : a clevis, a bell -coupling, shaft-coupling, or 
car-coupling, the second; a pipe-coupling or binding-post, 
the last. In a narrower sense a coupling is : (1) A device 
for uniting the ends of shafting, or a coupling-box. (See 
cut under coupling-box.) Such couplings are divided into 
