Crouch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kraÊŠt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -aÊŠtʃ

From Middle English crouche, cruche, from Old English crūċ ("cross"). Compare Old Saxon krūci ("cross"), Old High German chrūzi ("cross").

Full definition of crouch

Noun

1. (obsolete) A cross.

Verb

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

From Middle English crouchen, crucchen, crouken ("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

1. (intransitive) To bend down; to stoop low; to lie close to the ground with legs bent, as an animal when waiting for prey, or in fear.We crouched behind the low wall until the squad of soldiers had passed by.
• 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room Chapter 2Archer 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 stoop meanly; to fawn; to cringe.
• Wordswortha crouching purpose
• ShakespeareMust I stand and crouch
  Under your testy humour?
3. (intransitive) To bend, or cause to bend, as in humility or fear.

Noun

1. A bent or stooped position.The cat waited in a crouch, hidden behind the hedge.
2. A button (of a joypad, joystick or similar device) whose only or main current function is that when it is pressed causes a video game character to crouch.