Legal Term: LEVANT ET COUCHANT.

Definition: This French phrase, which ought perhaps more properly to be couchant et levant, signifies literally rising and lying down. In law, it denotes that space of time which cattle have been on the land in which they have had time to lie down and rise again, which, in general, is held to be one night at least. 3 Bl. Com. 9; Dane s Ab. Index, h. t; 2 Lilly s Ab. 167; Wood s Inst. 190; 2 Bouv. Inst. n. 1641.

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