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crouch

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

See also: Crouch

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɹaʊt͡ʃ/
  • Rhymes: -aʊtʃ
  • Audio (UK):(file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English crouchen (“to bend, crouch”), variant of croken (“to bend, crook”), from crok (“crook, hook”), from Old Norse krókr (“hook”), from Proto-Germanic *krōkaz (“hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerg- (“wicker, bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, wind, weave”). Compare Middle Dutch krōken (“to crook, curl”). More at crook.

Verb

crouch (third-person singular simple present crouches, present participle crouching, simple past and past participle crouched)

  1. (intransitive) To bend down; to stoop low; to stand close to the ground with legs bent, like an animal when waiting for prey, or someone in fear.
    We crouched behind the low wall until the squad of soldiers had passed by.
    • 1922, Virginia Woolf, chapter 2, in Jacob's Room:
      Archer and Jacob jumped up from behind the mound where they had been crouching with the intention of springing upon their mother unexpectedly, and they all began to walk slowly home.
  2. (intransitive) To bend servilely; to bow in reverence or humility.
Translations

Noun

crouch (plural crouches)

  1. A bent or stooped position.
    The cat waited in a crouch, hidden behind the hedge.
Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle English crouche, cruche, from Old English crūċ (“cross”). Compare Old Saxon krūci (“cross”), Old High German krūzi (“cross”). Doublet of cross and crux.

Noun

crouch (plural crouches)

  1. (obsolete) A cross.
Derived terms

Verb

crouch (third-person singular simple present crouches, present participle crouching, simple past and past participle crouched)

  1. (obsolete) To sign with the cross; bless.
Translations

See also

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

crouch

  1. Alternative form of crucche

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