[f. L. cōpulāt-, ppl. stem of cōpulāre to fasten together, link, couple, f. cōpula: see above.]
† 1. trans. To couple, conjoin, link together. Obs.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. III. iii. 326. Things of themselves most opposite, were copulated and linked together. Ibid. (1677), iv. Proem 7. The parts of an Hypothetic Proposition are copulated by the conditional particle, If.
1822. T. Taylor, Apuleius, 328. Copulated, like syllables by a mutual connexion.
† 2. intr. To become conjoined or united. Obs.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1688), I. lx. 57. The two Nations must needs Copulate and Mix.
3. intr. To unite in sexual congress. (Now chiefly a term of Zoology.)
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IV. (1682), 149. The devout Mahometans … accompting themselves damned to copulate (as they think) with the off-spring of doggs.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 261. All that urine backward do copulate πυγηδὸν, clunatim, or aversly.
1703. Quick, Dec. Wife’s Sister, 20. It had been … an hainous Sin … in the Brother to have copulated with this Widow.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III., 134. When the copulating season is over, the fawns return to their does.
1828. Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., II. 12. These animals, however, do not copulate, but the males shed a fecundating fluid upon the ova deposited by the females.
