couvade

American  

[koo-vahd, koo-vad] / kuˈvɑd, kuˈvad /

noun

1. a practice among some peoples, as the Basques of Spain, in which a man, immediately preceding the birth of his child, takes to his bed in an enactment of the birth experience and subjects himself to various taboos usually associated with pregnancy.

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couvade British  

/ kuvad, kuːˈvɑːd /

noun

1. anthropol a custom in certain cultures of treating the husband of a woman giving birth as if he were bearing the child

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Etymology

Origin of couvade

1860–65; < French (now obsolete), literally, a hatching, sitting on eggs, equivalent to couv ( er ) to hatch (< Latin cubāre to lie down) + -ade -ade ¹; cf. covey

Explanation

Couvade is a cultural practice where the husband of a pregnant wife takes to bed or simulates labor when the child is being born. The word couvade comes from the French verb couver, meaning "to hatch" or "to brood," reflecting the idea of the father sharing in the birth process. Though the concept of couvade might seem unusual to outsiders, it is often viewed as a way for the father to empathize with his pregnant partner. Couvade can vary widely, from simply resting in bed to engaging in rituals that mirror what the mother is going through.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

couvade

There are excellent passages in the book on synced hormones and perinatal conditions, as when fathers experience labor pains, “an extreme example of what researchers have dubbed couvade syndrome.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

A common ceremony is the "couvade": the pregnant woman ignores her condition as best she can, while the husband secludes himself, sticks to a careful diet.

From Time Magazine Archive

Men, of course, cannot bear babies despite the romantic notions called couvade, whereby the father writhes in bed when the mother goes through labor.

From Time Magazine Archive

This strange malady, resembling the couvade among certain savage nations, ordinarily lasted five days and four nights, but on this occasion the Ulstermen were prostrate from the beginning of November till the beginning of February.

From The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge by Dunn, Joseph

The couvade in its strict form, with restrictions and observances which are imposed entirely upon the father to the exclusion of the mother, does not seem to be found.

From The Religion of the Indians of California by Kroeber, A. L.