Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,530,077,255 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

couvade

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
cou·vade  (k-väd)
n.
A practice in certain cultures in which the husband of a woman in labor takes to his bed as though he were bearing the child.

[French, from Old French, from couver, to incubate, hatch, from Latin cubre, to lie down on.]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.couvade - a custom among some peoples whereby the husband of a pregnant wife is put to bed at the time of bearing the child
custom, usage, usance - accepted or habitual practice


?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
In the classic couvade of anthropological texts, men actually act out labor.
Dawson's classic compilation of couvade customs, says that that ritual path is made up of ways of losing mother or gaining mother: "All initiatory wandering is in the mother, through the mother, from mother, to mother.
What Hall finds is this: couvade customs seem intent on making a man "motherly" so as to make him a father.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.