What does "crouch" mean?
A bent or stooped position.
Crouch
/kɹaʊt͡ʃ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A bent or stooped position.
- Grammar: crouch is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bend, bend, bend, bend the knee.
- Useful contrasts: arabesques, rise, stand.
- Usage evidence: Mrs. Crouch, do you have a job?
How to use "crouch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crouch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crouch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crouch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crouch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crouch" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bend" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "crouch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A bent or stooped position.
"The cat waited in a crouch, hidden behind the hedge."
- 2 A cross. obsolete
- 3 the act of bending low with the limbs close to the body wordnet
Verb
- 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 To sign with the cross; bless. obsolete
- 3 sit on one's heels wordnet
- 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 bend one's back forward from the waist on down wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A ghost town in California.
- 3 A city and town in Idaho.
- 4 A short tidal river in Essex, England.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Mrs. Crouch, do you have a job?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crouch"?
Common synonyms include: bend, bend, bend, bend the knee, bend the neck, bend to.
How do you use "crouch" in a sentence?
Mrs. Crouch, do you have a job?
How do you pronounce "crouch"?
Pronounced /kɹaʊt͡ʃ/.
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 crouche, cruche, from Old English crūċ (“cross”). Compare Old Saxon krūci (“cross”), Old High German krūzi (“cross”). Doublet of cross and crux.