What is "to couch a lance"

Couch \Couch\ (kouch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Couched (koucht); p. pr. & vb. n. Couching.] [F. coucher to lay down, lie down, OF. colchier, fr. L. collocare to lay, put, place; col- + locare to place, fr. locus place. See Locus.]

1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place.

   Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain, Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.
   --Shak.

2. To arrange or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.

   The waters couch themselves as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity.
   --T. Burnet.

3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed.

   It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls.
   --Bacon.

4. (Paper Making) To transfer (as sheets of partly dried pulp) from the wire cloth mold to a felt blanket, for further drying.

5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly.

   There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory.
   --L'Estrange.

6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [Obs.]
   --Chaucer.

7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase; -- used with in and under.

   A well-couched invective.
   --Milton.

   I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms.
   --Blackw. Mag.

8. (Med.) To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract.

   To couch a spear or To couch a lance, to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest.

   He stooped his head, and couched his spear, And spurred his steed to full career.
   --Sir W. Scott.

   To couch malt, to spread malt on a floor.
   --Mortimer.