What is the meaning of crouch?

noun

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

verb

• Bend one's back forward from the waist on down.
  • usage: "he crouched down"; "She bowed before the Queen"; "The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse"
  • synonyms: stoop, bend, bow
• Sit on one's heels.
  • usage: "In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting"; "The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm"
  • synonyms: squat, scrunch, scrunch up, hunker, hunker down