couvade

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A practice among some peoples, such as the Basques, of the husband of a woman in the last stages of pregnancy taking to bed, avoiding certain foods, or imitating other behaviours of a pregnant woman.
  2. Sympathetic pregnancy: the involuntary sympathetic experience of the husband of symptoms of his wife's pregnancy, such as weight gain or morning sickness.

Pronunciation

/kuːˈvɑːd/ /kuːˈvæd/

Word forms

couvade couvades

Etymology

From French couvade (“brooding”).

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