crouch

Noun

• the act of bending low with the limbs close to the body

Verb

• sit on one's heels
  • In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting
    
  • The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm
    

• bend one's back forward from the waist on down
  • he crouched down
    
  • She bowed before the Queen
    
  • The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  squat , scrunch , scrunch up , hunker , hunker down , stoop , bend , bow