1. to lower the body close to the ground by bending the knees and back
2. to bend low in fear, submission, or to avoid something

1. a crouching position or posture

Examples

• The cat crouched low before pouncing on the toy mouse.
• She had to crouch down to fit through the small opening.
• The baseball catcher crouched behind home plate.
• The children crouched behind the bushes during hide-and-seek.
• He remained in a crouch, waiting for the right moment to move.
• The hiker crouched under the low-hanging branches.
• From his crouch, the sprinter exploded forward at the starting gun.