To bend your knees and lower your body, usually to hide or get ready to move quickly.
Possibly from Old Norse 'krúka' (to bend or curve) or Old French 'crochir.' The word has been used since the 1400s to describe bending or hunching positions.
Animals crouch before pouncing—it's an instinctive hunting position that humans copied, which is why wrestlers, sprinters, and soccer goalies all use the crouch to prepare for explosive movement!
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