squat

verb

\ ˈskwät

squatted; squatting

Definition of squat

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to cause (oneself) to crouch or sit on the ground

2 : to occupy as a squatter

intransitive verb

1 : to crouch close to the ground as if to escape observation a hare squatting in the grass

2a : to assume or maintain a position in which the body is supported on the feet and the knees are bent so that the buttocks rest on or near the heels squatted by the campfire

b : to exercise by performing a squat (see squat entry 3 sense 3a)

3 : to be or become a squatter squat in an abandoned building

squat

adjective

squatter; squattest

Definition of squat (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : sitting with the haunches close above the heels

2a : low to the ground

b : marked by disproportionate shortness or thickness

squat

noun

Definition of squat (Entry 3 of 3)

1a : the act of squatting

b : the posture of one that squats

2a : a place where one squats

b : the lair of a small animal the squat of a hare

3a : an exercise in which a standing person lowers to a position in which the torso is erect and the knees are deeply bent and then rises to an upright position

Note: A squat can be done while holding weights, with a barbell on the upper back, or without weights.

b weight lifting : a lift involving a squat done while holding a barbell on the shoulders also : a competitive event involving this lift

4 chiefly British : an empty house or building that is occupied by squatters

5 slang : diddly-squat

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Examples of squat in a Sentence

Verb

He squatted behind the bush to avoid being seen. A family has been squatting in that house for months.

Noun

He didn't do squat all day. She lives in a squat.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Those who survived fell back into the jungle or squatted in cities. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "The Lost World of the Maya is Finally Emerging From the Jungle," 7 Feb. 2019 Here's how to do it: After the giving partner lies down on their back, the receiving partner gently lifts a leg over their shoulders and then slowly squats down until their vulva makes contact with their partner's mouth. — Sophie Saint Thomas, refinery29.com, "The Most Satisfying Sex Positions for Lesbians," 20 June 2019 Suitcase Carry Stand tall, with a single kettlebell on the outside of one foot, and squat down to grab the weight with a neutral, palm-in grip. — K. Aleisha Fetters, Outside Online, "The Beginner's Guide to Weight Lifting," 19 June 2019 This was the real deal: men squatting down to toast bread over a charcoal fire inside steel oil drums. — George W. Stone, National Geographic, "A toast to Singapore’s traditional breakfast," 5 Apr. 2019 But perhaps in time the growing trans pet community will embrace its gender-nonconforming brothers and sisters (male dogs who squat to urinate, females who mount). — Peter Haldeman, New York Times, "The Secret Price of Pets," 4 July 2018 And in the royal family group photo on the chapel steps, the four-year-old squats down behind her older brother, Prince Nicolas, and appears to still be exploring the rocks on the ground. — Morgan M. Evans, Fox News, "Young Princess Leonore gets attention at her sister's christening for going barefoot," 13 June 2018 Exercises such as chair squats, lunges and abdominal twists mimic the motions of your everyday life. — Philly.com, "A decade-by-decade guide for staying fit for life," 16 May 2018 Thomas describes a client who complained of upper-back pain when squatting with a barbell, even when using a pad on the bar. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "What Is the Bulgarian Bag? All About Halle Berry’s New Favorite Strength Training Tool," 6 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The machines—which Asprey calls core pieces of tech at Upgrade Labs—look like a seated squat machine with a computer screen at eye level. — Natalie B. Compton, WIRED, "Inside the Bulletproof Coffee Guy’s New Body-Hacking Gym," 10 July 2019 Though a numbering system based on Washington’s Zero Milestone failed to gain traction, a squat granite milestone remains on the Ellipse a century later. — al.com, "America’s military accomplished an amazing feat 100 years ago -- driving across country," 7 July 2019 Mia Jones bounced out of her squat brick housing complex in Northeast Washington wearing a Harvard University hoodie just after 6:30 a.m. Her sister, who always takes a little longer to get ready, dragged behind. — Perry Stein, Washington Post, "‘It makes me angry’: For D.C. students, safe passage to school can prove elusive," 6 July 2019 Loww helped them find other places to squat, including the bushes behind Romantix. — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, "What Pete Buttigieg Has and Hasn’t Done About Homelessness in South Bend," 24 June 2019 Another natural source of mescaline, the squat peyote cactus, has been used in rituals in northern Mexico since pre-Colombian times. — The Economist, "A mind-bending history of mescaline," 28 June 2019 Bulgaria got a bad reputation from asinine American comedians who perpetuated the old communist stereotype of squat men and women with unibrows and thick necks who shave twice a day. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Gov. J.B. Pritzker should establish an Office of GSGBO (Get Stoned or Get the Bleep Out) to make a few bucks off those fleeing the state," 27 June 2019 Coulter was 5-foot-11, 240 pounds with 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash, who during his high school career held the Peoria High squat record at 600 pounds. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Peoria will celebrate football standout Shannon Coulter's life in Saturday ceremony," 21 June 2019 As the refugees prepared to leave, Nicolò Govoni, a co-founder of Mazí, peered through the glass of the ferry terminal, a squat concrete building at the end of the Samos port. — Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker, "On a Greek Island That Welcomed Migrants, Residents and Refugees Feel Abandoned," 13 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

With a 26-inch front wheel and a 20-inch rear, the Spicy Curry looks a little odd, but that squat back end keeps the center of gravity low for easy handling. — Aaron Gulley, Outside Online, "Excellent E-Bikes for Racing, Commuting, and Hauling," 4 July 2019 Wreck It Ft Laudy occupies a squat row of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them warehouses near Prospect Road and North Andrews Avenue. — Phillip Valys, sun-sentinel.com, "Breaking news (literally): I smashed a toaster at Wreck It Ft Laudy and it felt so good | SummerTimeOut," 3 July 2019 Keeping chest up, push hips back, bend knees, and lower down into a squat (A). — Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health.com, "Hit All Your Major Muscles With This 6-Move Kettlebell Workout," 10 June 2019 Beginner modification: Remove the jump and just do the sumo squats for 30 to 45 seconds. 4. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "A Total-Body HIIT Workout You Can Do in Under 15 Minutes From Celebrity Trainer Jeanette Jenkins," 14 Mar. 2019 Their doing so is at once reclamation project, act of defiance, and squat. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "A sense of dislocation in ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’," 13 June 2019 To perfect that perfect Insta girl squat, Jenner posed wearing a two-piece ribbed knit. — Vogue, "Kylie Jenner’s Idea of a “Chill” Fashion Instagram Is Anything But," 17 Mar. 2019 Hamstring curls, deadlifts, and box squats are among the most popular options. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "How to Do Nordic Curls to Strengthen Your Hamstrings, Like Celebrity Trainer Ashley Borden," 14 Feb. 2019 Small solutions such as taking the steps rather than the elevator or practicing bodyweight exercises at your desk such as push-ups, planks and squats, will make an impact. — Philly.com, "A decade-by-decade guide for staying fit for life," 16 May 2018

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