couth
1 Americanadjective
noun
adjective
adjective
-
facetious refined
-
archaic familiar; known
Etymology
Origin of couth1
First recorded in 1895–1900; back formation from uncouth
Origin of couth2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English cūth, past participle of cunnan “to know”; see know 1, can 2, could
Explanation
Couth is an adjective that means "refined or well mannered," like a couth gentleman who stands every time a woman leaves or returns to the table at the fancy dinner — the poor guy got a workout! As a noun, couth means good manners, sophistication or politeness, like having the couth to hold the door — or hold your tongue if the conversation turns to touchy subjects like money, politics, religion, or a person's physical appearance. The opposite of couth is uncouth. Around such a person, expect doors to slam in faces and uncomfortable conversations about sensitive matters.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And that might have been that … except the Couth Buzzard is not just a small business, and the love its patrons feel for it is a wondrous force.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2023
Chen, who called the Couth “our third place,” said he’s hopeful that Dzielak’s vision can live on.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2023
What happened this month at Couth Buzzard Books in Greenwood looked like yet another of those stories … until, wonderfully and unexpectedly, it wasn’t.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2023
“After a prolonged period of struggle, the Couth Buzzard will be closing down permanently,” he wrote on the store’s website on April 1, in a message of resigned sadness.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2023
Couth his colours longing for that art: well skilled in using the colours — the word-painting — belonging to his art.
From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Purves, D. Laing
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
