Forms: 3 kuple, 3–5 cuple, 4 copil, cuppel, -ul, 4–5 coupel, -il, -yl, cowpyll, cuppil(le, 4–6 copple, cowple, coupul(l, 4–7 cople, cupple, 6 coople, 4– couple. [a. OF. copler, cupler, later coupler, f. couple: see prec. and cf. L. cōpulāre.]
1. trans. To tie or fasten (dogs) together in pairs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1139. Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe cowpled hor houndez, Vnclosed þe kenel dore, & calde hem þer-oute.
c. 1440. [see COMPLE v.2].
1486. Bk. St. Albans, B iij b. Cowple vp yowre houndys.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Ind. i. 18. Couple Clowder with the deepe-mouth’d brach.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., II. v. (Arb.), 32. The Huntsmen hallowed, so ho, Venue a coupler, and so coupled the dogges.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 37, ¶ 2. Tom. Bellfrey and Ringwood were coupled together … to be in at the Death of the Fox, Hare, or Stag.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, ix. 147. They [the dogs] were all coupled.
2. gen. To fasten or link together (properly in pairs); to join or connect in any way.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 88. If it were made in ryme couwee … þat rede Inglis it ere inowe, þat couthe not haf coppled a kowe.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. v. 8. Wo that ioynen hous to hous, and feeld to feeld coupleth.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 135. The superior Scythia is a grete region … coplede of the este parte to Ynde, of the northe to the occean.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 43. With ane Capill and twa Creillis cuplit abufe.
1535. Coverdale, Isa. xxiv. 22. These shalbe coupled together as prisoners be.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 566. They bound our armes behind vs … coupling vs two and two together.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 64. These [places] Ecbar coupled to the rest of his Empire.
1714. Pope, Lett., xviii. in Wks. 1751, VII. 205 (J.). That man makes a mean figure in the eyes of Reason, who is measuring syllables and coupling rhymes, when he should be mending his own soul, and securing his own immortality.
1819. Shelley, Cyclops, 202. I see my young lambs coupled two by two With willow bands.
† b. To yoke (a horse or cart). Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6220 (Cott.). His folk all armed did he call, And cuppel did his cartes all.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. III. 190. Let cople þe comissarie, oure cart shal he drawe.
c. Organ-playing. To connect (two keys or keyboards) by means of a coupler. Also intr. (of a key or keyboard) To admit of this connection.
1829. Organ Specif., in Grove, Dict. Mus., II. 599/1. Pedal to couple Swell to Great. Ibid. (1880), 601/2. When the Swell was coupled to the Great Manual.
d. Mech. To connect (railway carriages) by a coupling; to connect (the driving-wheels of a locomotive steam-engine) by a coupling-rod.
1841. Penny Cycl., XIX. 249/1. The two pair of wheels [of a locomotive engine] were coupled together by connecting rods.
1864. Law Times Rep., X. 719/1. Trucks … filled with ballast … were coupled together and carried away by an engine.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., s.v. Car-coupling, in Europe the connection is more intimate, the cars being coupled together so firmly as to prevent the jar as the cars collide or jerk apart in stopping or starting.
† 3. To join in wedlock or sexual union. Obs.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xviii. 5. God til mankynd as spouse til spouse is copild.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 41. Dame mariory wes coupillyt in-to goddis band with Walter stewart off Scotland.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 112. Borne of a woman that was carnally coupled vnto hym.
1485. Caxton, St. Wenefr., 2. I am coupled in matrimonye to the sone of the euerlastyng kyng.
1535. Coverdale, Mark x. 9. Let not man therfore put asunder that which God hath coupled together.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Solemn. Matrim., If any man do allege any impediment why they may not be coupled together in matrimony.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. iii. 45. The Vicar of the next village … hath promis’d to … couple vs.
1726. Swift, Lett. to Pope, 17 Nov., 369. To assist … in degrading a parson who couples all our beggars.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. ix. As eager for her marriage with Jones as he had before been to couple her to Blifil.
† b. To espouse, marry. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12754. Clunestra at kirke couplit onone This Engest, with Jolite to hir iuste spouse.
c. To pair (animals).
1721. R. Bradley, Wks. Nat., 91. If a Sow of that Breed is Coupled with a Boar of the Cloven-footed kind.
a. 1754. Fielding, Fathers, V. v. Wedding! directly! what, do you think you are coupling some of your animals in the country?
4. intr. (for refl.). To unite with one of the opposite sex, come together sexually; to pair.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. X. 153. To kepe his cun from Caymes þat þei coupled not to-gedere.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, IV. 35. He that with me first coppled tooke away My love with him.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., IV. i. 145. Begin these wood birds but to couple now?
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 194. Furnish … your Aviaries with Birds before they couple.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 179. False titl’d Sons of God, roaming the Earth Cast wanton eyes on the daughters of men, And coupl’d with them, and begot a race.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 96. They [moles] couple towards the approach of spring.
1869. Tennyson, Pelleas & E., 526. Why then let men couple at once with wolves.
5. trans. To associate or bring together (persons) in pairs, or as companions or partners; † formerly also, to match or engage as opponents in a contest.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. IV. 132. Clerkes þat were confessours coupled hem to-gedere Forte construe þis clause.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3596. Thai saw never under the hevyn Twa Knightes that war copled so evyn.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xvii. 392. Or ever they lefte eche other goo, whan they were cowpled ones togyder [wrestling].
1526. Tindale, Acts ix. 26. He assayde to cople hym silfe with the apostles.
1583. T. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., II. 582. Ihon Montiew, as he was coupled to the enemie, was slaine with an Harquebouze shott.
1684. Otway, Atheist, I. i. When the rest of the Company is coupled.
1822. Wordsw., Eccles. Sonn., II. xxxiv. Latimer & Ridley. See Latimer and Ridley in the might Of Faith stand coupled for a common flight!
b. To attach or unite by ties of affection, or the like.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 116. Ryd forþ bi Richesse … For ȝif þou couple þe to him, to Clergie comestou neuere.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 22. For euere loue coupliþ god to man.
1526. Tindale, N. T., Prol. The spyrite of god, whych … copleth us to god.
1548. Hall, Chron., 171. Although the bodyes of these noble personages … were … a sonder seperated … yet their hartes were knitte and coupled in one.
† c. To couple friendship: a Latinism. Tο couple a skirmish (cf. to join battle). Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxxvii. 1. I frenshipe couplede [1388 Y haue couplid frenschip].
1583. T. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., II. 66 a. A skirmishe beganne to be coupled betweene the Roiters of the Wood and the Roiters of the Enemie.
6. intr. To join or unite with another as a companion, to come together or associate in pairs; † to engage (with another) in a contest.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 39 b. Ther were none so hardy that durste … cople with him.
1548. Hall, Chron., 182 b. The quene beyng therof asserteined, determined to couple [i.e., join battle] with hym while hys power was small and his ayde not come.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. I. iii. 21. They crowding come, I see, already, Close coupling, or withdrawn unsteady.
7. trans. Of things immaterial: To connect, conjoin, link (one with or to another, or together). Properly of two things only.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1059. Þurh þet he wes soð godd, in his cunde icuplet wið ure.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18804 (Cott.). He … Þat cuppuld þus vr kind til his.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 158. Clergye an Couetise heo [Meed] coupleþ to-gedere.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 236. The wrechyt dome, That is cowplyt to foule thyrldome.
1526. Tindale, 1 Pet. iii. 2. Whill they beholde youre pure conversacion coupled with feare.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxvii. § 10. He hath coupled the substance of his flesh and the substance of bread together.
1727–38. Gay, Fables, I. xii. 48. Av’rice … Must still be coupled with its cares.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Montaigne, Wks. (Bohn), I. 342. A biblical plainness, coupled with a most uncanonical levity.
1873. Dixon, Two Queens, III. XIII. x. 57. A man who coupled acts with words.
b. To conjoin in thought or speech.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 78. Isaie ueieð hope & silence, & kupleð boðe togederes.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 489. Neither did he so couple you to the Colledge of Philosophers, and Oratours.
1751. Jortin, Serm. (1771), IV. i. 5. Theft and swearing are coupled together in the Prophet Zechariah.
1826. Southey, Vind. Eccl. Angl., 253. To this let me couple the just complaint of … Melchior Canus.
1866. Mrs. Riddell, Race for Wealth, xxiii. I wish you would not couple her name and mine together.
