crouch
Americanverb (used without object)
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to stoop or bend low.
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to bend close to the ground, as an animal preparing to spring or shrinking with fear.
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to bow or stoop servilely; cringe.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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(intr) to bend low with the limbs pulled up close together, esp (of an animal) in readiness to pounce
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(intr) to cringe, as in humility or fear
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(tr) to bend (parts of the body), as in humility or fear
noun
Other Word Forms
- croucher noun
- crouchingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of crouch
1175–1225; Middle English crouchen, perhaps blend of couchen to lie down ( couch ) and croken to crook 1
Explanation
To crouch is to bend your knees, pull your body in, and sit on your heels. This position is called a crouch. You might crouch down to pet a kitten or catch a baseball. The catcher in baseball stands in a low crouch, waiting for the pitch. Little kids might crouch in a closet or under a table when they play hide and seek. People crouch when they’re in a small space or to keep themselves warm. When you’re in a crouch, your body takes up less space. Crouch comes from the French crochir, "become bent or crooked," after the shape of a hook or a croche.
Vocabulary lists containing crouch
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Raymond's Run"
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At no point can a skier duck into a crouch and let gravity carry him while he catches his breath.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
But don’t let fear put your portfolio into a defensive crouch.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
Claudine Singer, 72, brings knee pads so she can crouch in the street to scrape out the gutters with a metal claw.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025
The truck began to crouch in its stance, sinking toward the ground.
From Slate • Jun. 22, 2025
He’d crouch a few feet away from the edge of her canvas and just wait, breathing as he always did, steady and calm.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
