coucher: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare/HistoricalFormal/Technical/Historical
Quick answer
What does “coucher” mean?
A person who copies and binds documents, especially one who works for a parliamentary or official body.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who copies and binds documents, especially one who works for a parliamentary or official body; also refers to a clerk who writes official records.
Historically, a parliamentary officer responsible for making fair copies of bills and other official documents; more broadly, any scribe or copyist working in an official capacity. In some contexts, can refer to someone who prepares documents for binding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively British, linked to the historical practices of the UK Parliament. It is virtually unknown in American English, where similar functions would be described with terms like 'clerk', 'scribe', or 'copyist'.
Connotations
In British usage, it carries connotations of tradition, parliamentary history, and meticulous record-keeping.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both dialects, but marginally more likely to be encountered in British historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “coucher” in a Sentence
The coucher [verb] the bill.[Proper Noun] was appointed Coucher of the Parliament.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “coucher” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not used as a verb in modern English.
American English
- Not used as a verb in modern English.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The coucher department was housed near the archives.
- He held a coucher position for forty years.
American English
- American English does not use this term.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used only in historical or legal studies discussing parliamentary procedure.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Used in a narrow technical sense within descriptions of historical document preparation and binding processes.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “coucher”
- Using it as a general term for any clerk.
- Assuming it is related to furniture.
- Using it in a modern context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare and historical term. You are unlikely to encounter it outside of specialised historical or parliamentary texts.
In modern English, no. It is exclusively a noun referring to a specific historical occupation.
A 'coucher' is a specific type of scribe or copyist who worked in an official, often parliamentary, capacity to prepare formal documents for binding or final approval. 'Scribe' is a much more general term.
Because it is a 'false friend' for speakers of French and other Romance languages, where similar words mean 'to lie down' or 'to sleep'. In English, it has no connection to resting or furniture.
A person who copies and binds documents, especially one who works for a parliamentary or official body.
Coucher is usually formal/technical/historical in register.
Coucher: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkaʊtʃə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkaʊtʃɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None applicable for this rare term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a person on a couch? No! A COUCH-ER 'couches' (writes down) official words on paper.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE SCRIBE IS A CONTAINER (for official text).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the word 'coucher'?