Cwtch
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A cubbyhole or similar hiding place. Wales
"In front of the pavement again stretched a flat patch of rusty ground, a sort of little platform in the side of the hill where the sagging drying-lines stood and a chickens' cwtch built of orange-boxes."
- 2 A hug or cuddle. Wales
"I am expecting the big man to come round the corner and give me a ‘cwtch’ as he has done beside countless rugby fields."
- 1 To hug, cuddle, embrace, or comfort. Wales
- 2 To crouch or lie (down). Wales
"A family are about to have a meal round the kitchen table, so the dog is told to go and “cwtch” in the corner, out of harm’s way."
Example
More examples"In front of the pavement again stretched a flat patch of rusty ground, a sort of little platform in the side of the hill where the sagging drying-lines stood and a chickens' cwtch built of orange-boxes."
Etymology
From Welsh cwtsh (“hug, cuddle; little corner, recess”), from Middle English couche. Doublet of couch.
From Welsh cwtsio, from cwtsh + -o (suffix forming verbnouns).
Related phrases
More for "cwtch"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.