crouch

[ krouch ]

verb (used without object)

1. to stoop or bend low.
2. to bend close to the ground, as an animal preparing to spring or shrinking with fear.
3. to bow or stoop servilely; cringe.

verb (used with object)

1. to bend low.

noun

1. the act of crouching.

crouch

/ kraʊtʃ /

verb

1. intr to bend low with the limbs pulled up close together, esp (of an animal) in readiness to pounce
2. intr to cringe, as in humility or fear
3. tr to bend (parts of the body), as in humility or fear

noun

1. the act of stooping or bending

Other Words From

• croucher noun
• crouching·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of crouch¹

1175–1225; Middle English crouchen, perhaps blend of couchen to lie down ( couch ) and croken to crook ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of crouch¹

C14: perhaps from Old French crochir to become bent like a hook, from croche hook

Example Sentences

He was practicing holding his body in a crouch, with his arms straight out behind, before jumping skis-and-all into the air.

From FiveThirtyEight

He bends down into the crouch that raisin farmers assume when they are about to examine their crop.

From MIT Technology Review

Deneen believes that conservatism is in a “defensive crouch” — and has been so “since its rise in the 20th century.”

From Vox

It moves in a half crouch, dragging one knee along the ground.

From MIT Technology Review

It’s the first time reinforcement learning has been used to teach a two-legged robot how to walk from scratch, including the ability to walk in a crouch and while carrying an unexpected load.

From MIT Technology Review

Eyes red and prison muscles bulging, a tattooed white man behind me jumped to his feet from a crouch and swatted me aside.

From The Daily Beast

Democrats can't slink away, or crouch, or cut and run against their own record.

From The Daily Beast

Don dropped the skillet, jumped into a crouch, went for his gun.

From The Daily Beast

There was barely room to crouch, let alone lie down and sleep.

From The Daily Beast

Malheiro says that whoever claimed Crouch confirmed the cases of Krokodil “got her statements wrong.”

From The Daily Beast

Now it seemed to crouch as though ready to spring, and I could hear the savage growling as of some beast of prey.

From Project Gutenberg

I straightened out of my crouch, forced myself not to reveal what I had just seen.

From Project Gutenberg

She continued to crouch on the steps, holding her breath and stiffening herself into complete immobility.

From Project Gutenberg

He raised his saber in salute—the only fencing-movement he'd become proficient in—and jumped into a crouch.

From Project Gutenberg

So there she sat, ready to crouch down into her hiding-place, if she heard a noise from her enemy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bend
• cower
• grovel
• huddle
• hunch
• kneel
• squat
• stoop
• wince