# crouch

/ˈkɹaʊtʃ/ (US) · /kɹˈaʊtʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crouch
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to bend down low

verb · CEFR B2

to lower your body by bending your knees, often to hide or to get ready to jump.

For teachers: to stoop or bend low with the limbs drawn close to the body, typically to avoid detection or prepare for sudden movement.

- The children had to crouch behind the sofa so their parents wouldn't see them.
- The photographer had to crouch in the tall grass for hours to capture the leopard without startling it.

Usage: Intransitive verb; often followed by prepositions like 'down', 'behind', or 'under'.

### 2. to act servilely

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to behave in a very humble way toward someone powerful, often because you are afraid.

For teachers: to behave in a servile or cringing manner; to show excessive humility or fear toward an authority figure.

- The servants would crouch before the cruel king whenever he entered the room.
- In the historical novel, the peasants were forced to crouch in the presence of the lord to show their total submission.

Usage: Often used figuratively to describe a lack of dignity or extreme social inequality.

### 3. a stooped position

noun · CEFR B2

a position where your knees are bent and your body is close to the ground.

For teachers: a stooped or bent posture.

- He stayed in a low crouch until the deer had passed by his hiding spot.
- The sprinter held a tense crouch at the starting line, waiting for the signal to explode into motion.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'in a crouch'.

### 4. to sign with a cross

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to make the sign of a cross as a religious blessing.

For teachers: to sign with the cross; to bless or protect through a cruciform gesture.

- The old priest would crouch the foreheads of the children as they entered.
- The manuscript describes how the monks would crouch themselves before entering the sacred chamber.

Usage: This sense is no longer used in modern English and is found only in historical or period texts.

## Examples

- The cat will crouch low before it jumps.
- The photographer had to crouch behind a bush to get a clear shot of the deer without scaring it away.
- During the drill, the students were instructed to crouch beneath their desks and cover their heads until the alarm stopped ringing.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.