# crouch

> English word · Verb · IPA /kɹaʊt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #20,598

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. To bend servilely; to bow in reverence or humility.

## Etymology
From Middle English crouchen (“to bend, crouch”), variant of croken (“to bend, crook”), from crok (“crook, hook”), from Old Norse krókr (“hook”), from Proto-Germanic *krōkaz (“hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerg- (“wicker, bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, wind, weave”). Compare Middle Dutch krōken (“to crook, curl”). More at crook.

## Easily confused with
- **crush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crouch-vs-crush)
- **crunch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crouch-vs-crunch)
- **crutch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crouch-vs-crutch)
- **crouched** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crouch-vs-crouched)
- **croc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/croc-vs-crouch)
- **coach** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coach-vs-crouch)
- **couch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/couch-vs-crouch)
- **cough** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cough-vs-crouch)
- **crock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crock-vs-crouch)
- **conch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conch-vs-crouch)
- **crotch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crotch-vs-crouch)
- **clough** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clough-vs-crouch)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccrouch`, `coruch`, `crocuh`, `croucch`, `crouchh`, `crouhc`, `crrouch`, `cruoch`, `rcouch`

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