couvade
noun
cou·vade kü-ˈväd 
: a custom in some cultures in which when a child is born the father takes to bed as if bearing the child and submits himself to fasting, purification, or taboos
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Brennan thinks hormonal study could be the most fruitful research area for trying to explain couvade. 
Ariel Ramchandani, The Atlantic, 3 June 2021
Ariel Ramchandani, The Atlantic, 3 June 2021 Word History
Etymology
French, from Middle French, cowardly inactivity, from cover to sit on, brood over — more at covey
First Known Use
1865, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
couvade
noun
cou·vade kü-ˈväd
1
: a custom in some cultures in which when a child is born the father takes to bed as if bearing the child and submits himself to fasting, purification, or taboos
2
: couvade syndrome