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

The pockets have the right space for balls, tees, and scorecards, and your motion will never be restricted while swinging or crouching to grab the six-inch gimmie off the green. —Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024

The reason for this is that catchers are crouching closer to the batters in order to better frame pitches. —Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 11 May 2024

Johnny Woods crouched down to guard his star forward during a pickup game in his driveway. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2024

Perry took the jacket off for a second picture, crouching on a green stool in the same tiny shorts and a white crop top that showed her black bra underneath. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 6 June 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