hunker

¹

[ huhng-ker ]

verb (used without object)

1. to crouch or squat on one's heels:

   He hunkered to be at eye level with his dog.

   I can’t hunker with this bad knee.

2. 1. to hunch:

      The driver hunkered over the steering wheel.

   2. to hide, hide out, or take shelter, often for just a few hours or less, as from a pursuer or a storm:

      The escaped convicts hunkered in a cave in the mountains.

   3. to settle in to the safety of one’s home or other designated shelter for a potentially prolonged time, as would be necessitated by a natural disaster or an outbreak of a contagious disease:

      Many local residents hunkered in the basement of the fire station.

3. Slang. to lumber along; walk or move slowly or aimlessly:

   A small black bear was seen hunkering through the neighborhood.

noun

1. hunkers, one's haunches.

verb phrase

1. hunker down.

Hunker

²

[ huhng-ker ]

noun

1. a member of the conservative faction in the Democratic Party in New York State, 1845–48.

hunker

/ ˈhʌŋkə /

verb

1. introften foll bydown to squat; crouch

Other Words From

• Hunker·ism noun
• Hunker·ous adjective
• Hunker·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunker¹

First recorded in 1710–20; apparently hunk (perhaps nasalized variant of huck “haunch”; akin to Old Norse hūka “to crouch”) + -er ⁶

Origin of hunker²

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; origin uncertain

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's hunkers,
   1. British Informal. squatting on one's heels.
   2. suffering a period of poverty, bad luck, or the like.

Example Sentences

“We’re going to be hunkering down,” she said, “and taking lots of Vitamin C.”

From Los Angeles Times

As of now, patrols have been suspended altogether, with troops hunkered in their compounds.

From Los Angeles Times

Maria Bowman, 60, hunkered down in her bright pink mobile home in North Fort Myers, rode out Milton's fierce winds.

From BBC

If it continues on its projected track, by Thursday it will likely hit Orlando, another densely populated metropolitan area, where millions of people have either evacuated or hunkered down.

From Salon

Time and time again, he would hunker down in the family home he was raised in, where he now lives with his eight-year-old daughter and partner.

From BBC