crouched; crouching; crouches

intransitive verb

1
a
: to lower the body stance especially by bending the legs
The sprinter crouched and was ready to go.
b
: to lie close to the ground with the legs bent
… a pair of cats, crouching on the brink of a fight.Aldous Huxley
2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.

transitive verb

: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend
The dog crouched its head.
crouch noun

Examples of crouch in a Sentence

She crouched down, trying to get a closer look at the spider. The lion crouched in the tall grass, waiting to attack the gazelle.
Recent Examples on the Web The floor of the cave is uneven and rocky, with sections of the ceiling varying in height, making crawling or crouching necessary at times. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024 Some passengers shed tears, some crouched to take photos of the scene, and others kept an eye on the hawks starting to circle the placenta. Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024 One toddler can be seen crouched on the ground gathering up a pile, while the other walks with a large bunch held in her little hands. Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024 At the start of the clip, above, Krasinski is seen crouching over Luigi as Carell sighs and meets him on the floor. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crouch 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crouch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of crouch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crouch

Cite this Entry

“Crouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crouch. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

crouch

verb
: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body
crouch noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crouch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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