couchant
/ˈkaʊtʃənt/ adjective
- adjective (of an animal) Lying with belly down and front legs extended; crouching.
- adjective (heraldry) Represented as crouching with the head raised.
Etymology
From Middle English couchant, from Middle French couchant.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Lying down with head erect; squatting.
- adjective Lying down with the head raised, which distinguishes the posture of couchant from that of dormant, or sleeping; --said of a lion or other beast. Couchant and levant (Law), rising up and lying down; --said of beasts, and indicating that they have been long enough on land, not belonging to their owner, to lie down and rise up to feed, --such time being held to include a day and night at the least. Blackstone.
Etymology [F., p. pr. of coucher. See Couch, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “couchant”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details