Crouch
/kraʊtʃ/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo lower the body by bending the knees and legs.
/kraʊtʃ/
To lower your body close to the ground by bending your legs.
The spy crouched behind the car to avoid being seen.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're hiding from someone, or maybe getting ready to play a game where you need to be low to the ground. Crouching is like bending your knees and getting closer to the floor. Like when you’re hiding from your friends during hide-and-seek!.
👶 For kids: To bend your knees and get low to the ground, like when you're playing a game.
More Examples
The children crouched down to look at the ants.
She crouched in front of the fireplace to warm her hands.
How It's Used
"The baseball player crouched low, ready to steal second base."
"She crouched down to pet the small dog."
A position where the body is close to the ground.
/kraʊtʃ/
The act of crouching.
He maintained a low crouch as he crept through the bushes.
💡 Simply: Think of it as the name of that pose where you bend down, like you're getting ready to spring up or hide. It’s that low-to-the-ground pose you make. Like the low crouch a sprinter does at the start of a race.
👶 For kids: The way you bend your knees to get close to the ground.
More Examples
The athlete's crouch was perfect for the start of the race.
She held a defensive crouch, ready to block the ball.
How It's Used
"He remained in a crouch, watching the approaching stranger."
"The sprinter took his mark in a low crouch."
Idioms & expressions
crouch down
To bend your knees and lower your body.
"The photographer told the model to crouch down for the shot."
From Old French *crochir* 'to bend, hook', from a Germanic source, related to Dutch *kruipen* 'to creep'.
Used since the early 14th century, often to describe a position of fear or deference. The act of crouching was also used in heraldry and in animal behavior.
Memory tip
Imagine a cat getting ready to pounce – that's a crouch!
Word Origin
"to bend, hook"