2 N‑COUNT A couch is a narrow bed which patients lie on while they are being examined or treated by a doctor.
3 VERB [usu passive] If a statement is couched in a particular style of language, it is expressed in that style of language. [WRITTEN ] □ [be V -ed + in/as ] The new centre-right government's radical objectives are often couched in moderate terms.
cou|chette /kuːʃe t/ (couchettes ) N‑COUNT A couchette is a bed on a train or a boat which is folded against the wall or used as a seat during the day. [mainly BRIT ]
cou ch po|ta|to (couch potatoes ) N‑COUNT A couch potato is someone who spends most of their time watching television and does not exercise or have any interesting hobbies. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …couch potatoes flicking through endless satellite TV channels.
couch|surf|ing /kaʊ tʃsɜː r f I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Couchsurfing is the practice of sleeping at the houses of several different people for a period of time without paying. □ He spent a few months couchsurfing.
cou|gar /kuː gə r / (cougars ) N‑COUNT A cougar is a wild member of the cat family. Cougars have brownish-grey fur and live in mountain regions of North and South America. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, use puma
cough ◆◇◇ /kɒ f, [AM ] kɔː f/ (coughs , coughing , coughed )
1 VERB When you cough , you force air out of your throat with a sudden, harsh noise. You often cough when you are ill, or when you are nervous or want to attract someone's attention. □ [V ] Graham began to cough violently. □ [V ] He coughed. 'Excuse me, Mrs Allsworthy, could I have a word?' ● N‑COUNT Cough is also a noun. □ They were interrupted by an apologetic cough. ● cough|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He was then overcome by a terrible fit of coughing.
2 N‑COUNT A cough is an illness in which you cough often and your chest or throat hurts. □ …if you have a persistent cough for over a month.
3 VERB If you cough blood or mucus, it comes up out of your throat or mouth when you cough. □ [V n] I started coughing blood so they transferred me to a hospital. ● PHRASAL VERB Cough up means the same as cough . □ [V P n] Keats became feverish, continually coughing up blood. [Also V n P ]
▸ cough up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you cough up an amount of money, you pay or spend that amount, usually when you would prefer not to. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P + for ] I'll have to cough up $10,000 a year for tuition. □ [V P ] Will this be enough to persuade Congress to cough up? [Also V P n + for ]
2 → see also cough 3
cou gh medi|cine (cough medicines ) N‑VAR Cough medicine is liquid medicine that you take when you have a cough.
cou gh mix|ture (cough mixtures ) N‑VAR Cough mixture is the same as cough medicine . [BRIT ]
could ◆◆◆ /kəd, STRONG kʊd/ Could is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. Could is sometimes considered to be the past form of can , but in this dictionary the two words are dealt with separately. 1 MODAL You use could to indicate that someone had the ability to do something. You use could not or couldn't to say that someone was unable to do something. □ For my return journey, I felt I could afford the extra and travel first class. □ I could see that something was terribly wrong. □ When I left school at 16, I couldn't read or write. □ There was no way she could have coped with a baby around.
2 MODAL You use could to indicate that something sometimes happened. □ Though he had a temper and could be nasty, it never lasted. □ He could be very pleasant when he wanted to.
3 MODAL You use could have to indicate that something was a possibility in the past, although it did not actually happen. □ He could have made a fortune as a lawyer. □ He did not regret saying what he did but felt that he could have expressed it differently.
4 MODAL You use could to indicate that something is possibly true, or that it may possibly happen. □ Doctors told him the disease could have been caused by years of working in smokey clubs. □ An improvement in living standards could be years away.
5 MODAL You use could not or couldn't to indicate that it is not possible that something is true. □ Anne couldn't be expected to understand the situation. □ He couldn't have been more than fourteen years old.
6 MODAL You use could to talk about a possibility, ability, or opportunity that depends on other conditions. □ Their hope was that a new and better country could be born. □ I knew that if I spoke to Myra, I could get her to call my father.
7 MODAL You use could when you are saying that one thing or situation resembles another. □ The charming characters she draws look like they could have walked out of the 1920s.
8 MODAL You use could , or couldn't in questions, when you are making offers and suggestions. □ I could call the local doctor. □ You could look for a career abroad where environmental jobs are better paid and more secure. □ It would be a good idea if you could do this exercise twice or three times on separate days.
9 MODAL You use could in questions when you are making a polite request or asking for permission to do something. Speakers sometimes use couldn't instead of 'could' to show that they realize that their request may be refused. [POLITENESS ] □ Could I stay tonight? □ Could I speak to you in private a moment, John? □ He asked if he could have a cup of coffee. □ Couldn't I watch you do it?
10 MODAL People sometimes use structures with if I could or could I as polite ways of interrupting someone or of introducing what they are going to say next. [FORMAL , SPOKEN , POLITENESS ] □ Well, if I could just interject. □ Could I ask you if there have been any further problems? □ First of all, could I begin with an apology for a mistake I made last week?