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Crouch

//kɹaʊt͡ʃ// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
  2. 2
    A ghost town in California.
  3. 3
    A city and town in Idaho.
  4. 4
    A short tidal river in Essex, England.
Noun
  1. 1
    A bent or stooped position.

    "The cat waited in a crouch, hidden behind the hedge."

  2. 2
    A cross. obsolete
  3. 3
    the act of bending low with the limbs close to the body wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    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. intransitive

    "We crouched behind the low wall until the squad of soldiers had passed by."

  2. 2
    To sign with the cross; bless. obsolete
  3. 3
    sit on one's heels wordnet
  4. 4
    To bend servilely; to bow in reverence or humility. intransitive

    "kings ſhall crouch vnto our conquering ſwords, And hoſtes of Souldiers ſtand amazd at vs, When with their fearfull tongues they ſhall confeſſe Theſe are the men that al the world admires,"

  5. 5
    bend one's back forward from the waist on down wordnet

Etymology

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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.

Etymology 4

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.

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