couchant

[ kou-chuh nt ]

/ ˈkaʊ tʃənt /

lying down; crouching.

Heraldry. (of an animal) represented as lying on its stomach with its hind legs and forelegs pointed forward.

Origin of couchant

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French, present participle of coucher to lay or lie. See couch, -ant

In Curzon's figure the lion is standing, not 'couchant', as stated by Malcolm, and grasps a scimitar in his off forepaw.

Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official |William Sleeman
The designs of both were: Obverse—Britannia, seated on a globe, holding out a palm; a couchant lion beside her.

Chats on Military Curios |Stanley C. Johnson
At the bottom of the outer arch are two couchant beasts, the one an elephant and the other a bull.

The God-Idea of the Ancients |Eliza Burt Gamble
She was graceful as a couchant goddess and, moreover, as self-possessed as Venus must have been when courting Adonis.

Barchester Towers |Anthony Trollope

The subject was generally 'effets'—Effet de brouillard, Effet du soir, Soleil couchant.

The Kingdom of God is Within You, What is Art |Lyof N. Tolstoi

couchant

/ (ˈkaʊtʃənt) /

(usually postpositive) heraldry in a lying position a lion couchant

C15: from French: lying, from Old French coucher to lay down; see couch