crouch

Meanings

Verb

  • 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.
  • To bend servilely; to bow in reverence or humility.
  • To sign with the cross; bless.

Noun

Origin

  • From Middle English crouchen, variant of croken, from crok, from Old Norse krókr, from Proto-Germanic *krōkaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gerg-, from Proto-Indo-European *ger-. Compare Middle Dutch kroken. More at crook.
  • From Middle English crouche, cruche, from Old English crūċ ("cross"). Compare Old Saxon krūci ("cross"), Old High German krūzi ("cross"). cross, and crux.

Modern English dictionary

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