[a. F. copulation (14th c. in Littré), ad. L. cōpulātiōn-em, n. of action f. cōpulāre: see prec.]
† 1. The action of coupling or linking two things together, or condition of being coupled; connection, union. Obs.
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. (1560), 278/2. Every othe by knitting of copulacion must have these lawes.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John, Pref. 3 a. The wonderfull copulacion of the sayed nature vnto ours by his incarnacion.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, I. 5. That kynde of copulation called Synchondrosis, is to be noted by the bones of the brest.
a. 1623. W. Pemble, Justification (1629), 221. The copulation of a liuing faith and obedience together.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 194, ¶ 10. Wit … is the unexpected copulation of ideas.
1752. H. Walpole, Corr. (1837), I. 179. A pyramid which by a most unnatural copulation is at once a grotto and a greenhouse.
b. Grammatical or logical connection.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 86. When one or moe members doe follow in equall sentences, as thus…: or thus with copulation: neither hast thou…, nor…, nor….
1854. Hickok, Ment. Sc., 146. The varieties of judgements, which depend upon the forms of copulation.
† c. quasi-concr. A combination. Obs. rare.
1774. H. Walpole, Let. Sir W. Hamilton, 19 June. A new instrument … a copulation of a harpsicord and a violin.
2. spec. The union of the sexes in the act of generation. (Now chiefly a term of Zoology.)
1483. Caxton, Cato, A v b. Made one flesshe by carnal copulacyon or bodily felawshyp.
c. 1530. More, Life Hen. VIII., 63. Because of the carnall copulacion had betweene prince Arthur and the queene.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 185. Some thinking that they [bees] are ingendred by copulation, the drone being the male, and the Bee the female.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 84. The copulation of Cattle.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (1661), 31. Marriage, which is a lawful copulation of a man and a woman.
1830. R. Knox, Béclard’s Anat., 28. They produce living young, without copulation.
1880. Günther, Fishes, 157. In viviparous fishes actual copulation takes place.
