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 next photo showed Callum lying beside his newborn sister, which was then followed by another snap of him crouching behind her as she was situated in front of a mirror. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024

During various lounge visits, the Lufthansa team would see people crouching on the floor or hunting for chargers, and the new lounge looks to solve this problem. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2024

The woman was rollerblading when a man appeared to grab her from behind and drag her to the ground, crouching over her as a physical struggle ensued, according to footage shared by WSVN-Ch.7. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2024

McLaughlin kept the promise, crouching to the floor while covering her mouth in shock after seeing her record-breaking time. —David K. Li, NBC News, 1 July 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