scooch

verb

ˈsküch 

variants or less commonly scootch

scooched also scootched; scooching also scootching; scooches also scootches

1

transitive + intransitive : to move a short distance by or as if by sliding

The 8-year-old scooches over on the couch to nestle right up against this visitor.

—Lauren Ritchie

I sucked in my stomach and scooched sideways through the narrow passageway …

—Susan Glaser

… the first violins scootched themselves and their music stands back to make room for the afternoon's soloist …

—Sarah Bryan Miller

… just scootch every title down the list one spot.

—Jacob Oller

especially : to make room for another person by sliding the body while seated

—often used with over

Can you scooch over a bit?

2

intransitive : to crouch (as in hiding)

He scooched (down) behind the bushes.

Examples of scooch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Folks greet each other on the street, share stories over ice cream cones on benches, kids play and engage in the riverfront park, folks will scooch over a seat or two to make room for others. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 20 May 2024

Next, scooch your knees as close to the couch as possible, and put your feet on top of the couch. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2023

Of course, that required everybody to scooch over a notch and move Jason Peters, who has had a Hall of Fame career, and play left tackle. —Dallas News, 30 Dec. 2022

Unhappy John Breem, scooch over to make some room for Greta on our consciousness-raising couch! —Rose Maura Lorre, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

variant of scouch, attested slightly earlier, probably expressive variant of crouch

Note: Sense 1, not attested until the mid-twentieth century, may be by association with scoot. Compare scrooch "to crouch, bend," a variant of scrouch, itself a variant of scrouge, and, with an additional nasal consonant, scrunch entry 1. Collectively, these appear to constitute a family of expressive verbs that suggest in one way or another compression of the body or some part of the body.

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 2