# crotch

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɹɑt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #20,325

## Definitions
1. The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.
2. Either the male or female genitalia.
3. The area where something forks or branches: where a ramification takes place.
4. In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table.
5. The open counter (negative space) formed by two downward strokes that meet at an internal acute angle, potentially above a vertex, as in the letters "V" and "Y".

## Etymology
Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely:
* From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook.
* From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”).

## Easily confused with
- **crunch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crotch-vs-crunch)
- **crouch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crotch-vs-crouch)
- **crutch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crotch-vs-crutch)
- **croc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/croc-vs-crotch)
- **coach** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coach-vs-crotch)
- **catch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catch-vs-crotch)
- **couch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/couch-vs-crotch)
- **cloth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cloth-vs-crotch)
- **crock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crock-vs-crotch)
- **conch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conch-vs-crotch)
- **clutch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clutch-vs-crotch)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ccrotch`, `cortch`, `crocth`, `crotcch`, `crotchh`, `crothc`, `crottch`, `crrotch`, `crtoch`, `rcotch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/crotch