crouch

verb

ˈkrau̇ch 

crouched; crouching; crouches

intransitive verb

1

a

: to lower the body stance especially by bending the legs

The sprinter crouched and was ready to go.

b

: to lie close to the ground with the legs bent

… a pair of cats, crouching on the brink of a fight.

—Aldous Huxley

2

: to bend or bow servilely : cringe

3

: to stand at a low height

Cottages crouched along the river.

transitive verb

: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend

The dog crouched its head.

crouch noun

Synonyms

• couch
• huddle
• hunch
• hunker (down)
• scrunch
• squat
• squinch

Examples of crouch in a Sentence

She crouched down, trying to get a closer look at the spider.

The lion crouched in the tall grass, waiting to attack the gazelle.

Recent Examples on the Web

That will provide standing space for children, though, and will provide adults a little more headroom for crouching, whether to grab something out of the alcove, get changed, or otherwise stand on two feet inside. —New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2024

Photos recently went viral of students crouching beneath their desks during a police operation on a nearby boulevard, where fleeing suspects tossed spikes onto the streets to puncture the tires of National Guard vehicles chasing them. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2024

Zhenya crouches there in the hallway, cradling her hands, her jacket released. —Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024

In the opening scene of the third season of Somebody Somewhere, Bridget Everett’s character, Sam Miller, crouches on the floor of a bar, talking baby-talk to a dog. —Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

crouch

verb

ˈkrau̇ch 

: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body

crouch noun