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crouch

verb
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\ ˈkrau̇ch How to pronounce crouch (audio) \
crouched; crouching; crouches

Definition of crouch

intransitive verb

1a : 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.
Other Words from crouch Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about crouch

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Other Words from crouch

crouch noun

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 black-and-white cat was seen crouched on the narrow ledge as traffic whizzed by near the First Street on-ramp in San Francisco. — Bay City News, The Mercury News, "Leashed cat rescued from ledge of Bay Bridge," 21 Aug. 2019 Having offered up a break point, Strycova crouched at the baseline and rested her racket on her head. — Howard Fendrich, sun-sentinel.com, "Serena Williams makes Wimbledon final, moves closer to tying Slam record," 11 July 2019 Brick walls, tall ceilings, and a basement that some of the taller members of the team needed to crouch down to walk through. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Kumiko Is a New Bar in Chicago That Will Instantly Transport You to Japan," 11 June 2019 One of the most common positions to deliver a baby is to have the woman crouching on the legs of another woman who is holding her. — Washington Post, "A child raised by many mothers: What we can learn about parenthood from an indigenous group in Brazil," 6 Sep. 2019 Local news videos showed officers from the police Special Tactical Squad charging a train at the Prince Edward station in Kowloon and using batons to hit several people who were crouching on the floor of a car. — Austin Ramzy, New York Times, "Hong Kong Protesters Clash With Police After Defying Ban," 31 Aug. 2019 Those players’ batting stances aren’t taken into consideration, meaning hitters who crouch or stand straight up might end up with an inaccurate zone. — Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, "‘There’s no way you’re fooling a machine’: A first-person look at the robot umpire system being tested by MLB," 8 Aug. 2019 Jose Luis Gonzalez's photograph shows Perez crouching on a dusty road and holding her son close, crying into his chest as the service member stands nearby with his weapon hanging from his shoulder. — Alex Sundby, CBS News, "Dramatic photo captures migrant mom pleading with border guard as she tries to enter U.S. with son," 26 July 2019 When police arrived, Ball was crouched next to his 16-year-old brother, who was being attended to by emergency first responders. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee man gets 4 years in prison for crash with a school bus that killed his brother," 22 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crouch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of crouch

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

History and Etymology for crouch

Middle English

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Statistics for crouch

Last Updated

31 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for crouch

The first known use of crouch was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for crouch

crouch

verb
How to pronounce crouch (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of crouch

: to lower your body to the ground by bending your legs
of an animal : to lie on the stomach close to the ground with the legs bent

See the full definition for crouch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

crouch

verb
\ ˈkrau̇ch How to pronounce crouch (audio) \
crouched; crouching

Kids Definition of crouch

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

crouch

noun

Kids Definition of crouch (Entry 2 of 2)

: the position of stooping with the arms and legs close to the body

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More from Merriam-Webster on crouch

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crouch

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with crouch

Spanish Central: Translation of crouch

Nglish: Translation of crouch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of crouch for Arabic Speakers

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