hunker
[huhng-ker]
- to squat on one's heels (often followed by down).
- Informal.
- to hunch: The driver hunkered over the steering wheel.
- to hide, hide out, or take shelter (usually followed by down): The escaped convicts hunkered down in a cave in the mountains.
- to hold resolutely or stubbornly to a policy, opinion, etc., when confronted by criticism, opposition, or unfavorable circumstances (usually followed by down): Though all the evidence was against him, he hunkered down and refused to admit his guilt.
- Slang. to lumber along; walk or move slowly or aimlessly.
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- hunkers, one's haunches.
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- on one's hunkers,
- British Informal.squatting on one's heels.
- suffering a period of poverty, bad luck, or the like.
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Origin of hunker
1710–20; apparently hunk (perhaps nasalized variant of huck haunch; akin to Old Norse hūka to crouch) + -er6
Hunker
[huhng-ker]
- a member of the conservative faction in the Democratic Party in New York State, 1845–48.
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Compare Barnburner(def 3).
Origin of Hunker
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for hunker
Contemporary Examples
When life gets traumatic do you prefer to hunker down and grieve in private, or open up to others?
“The news is slanting in different directions,” Tom complains as he and Vickie hunker down in a bar.
But I had to hunker down and do my job, live shot after live shot.
There’s No Crying in Journalism—Even After the Horrifying Connecticut School ShootingsLauren Ashburn
December 16, 2012
“Hunker down” was also the advice given—though much more avuncularly—by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Ignoring warnings to hunker down, determined New Yorkers go about their business—and hit the bars.
Historical Examples
They had struck it rich on a property they had bought on Hunker.
The Trail of '98Robert W. Service
Hunker reported that they had discovered no trace of the missing man.
Frank Merriwell's SonBurt L. Standish
"I was going over to Hunker Creek myself," concluded Wodley.
To Alaska for GoldEdward Stratemeyer
There was a political meeting (Hunker) at the capitol, but I pass'd it by.
Complete Prose WorksWalt Whitman
The silver-gray whig shakes hands with the hunker democrat; the former only differing from the latter in name.
My Bondage and My FreedomFrederick Douglass
hunker
- (intr often foll by down) to squat; crouch
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for hunker
v.
"to squat, crouch," 1720, Scottish, of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse huka "to crouch," hoka, hokra "to crawl." Hunker down, Southern U.S. dialectal phrase, popularized c.1965, from northern British hunker "haunch." Related: Hunkered; hunkering.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper