Obs. Forms: 3 acoup-en, 4 acope, acoupe, 5 acoulpe. [a. OFr. acope-r, acolper, aculper, acoulper, acouper; f. à to + coulper, couper, to blame:—L. culpā-re, f. culpa fault, blame; or ? for earlier encolper, encouper:—L. inculpā-re. Adculpāre is not found in L. Subseq. refashioned as accoup: see AC-.] To accuse.
1297. R. Glouc., 544. Me acoupede hom harde inou, & suththe atte laste, As theues & traitors, in strong prison me hom caste.
c. 1300. Life of Beket, 773. The King sat anheȝ on his cee, and acopede him faste.
1340. Hampole, Pr. of Consc., 2947. A man has drede bodily, when he es acouped of felony.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 459. Til conscience acouped hym þere-of · in a curteise manere.
1480. Caxton, Chron., cxcviii. And Syre Robert hym acoulped in thys maner.
1717. Blount, Law Dict., Accouped, His conscience accouped him [quoted from P. Pl. as above].
So Bailey, 1731.
