I. ˈskwä]t also -wȯ]; usu ]d.+V\ verb
( squatted or squat ; squatted or squat ; squatting ; squats )
Etymology: Middle English squatten, from Middle French esquater, esquatir, from es- ex- (I) (from Latin ex- ) + quatir, catir to press, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin coactire to press together — more at decating
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to bruise or lay flat with a blow
b. obsolete : crush , repress , silence
2. : to cause to crouch or sit on the ground
squatted himself down before the fire
3. : to occupy without title or payment of rent
the rest of the mews had long been squatted by a low-class colony of private traders — Margery Sharp
intransitive verb
1. : to crouch close to the ground to escape observation : cower
squatting hare
2.
a. : to sit on one's haunches ; specifically : to crouch on the ground with legs fully drawn up before the body
b. : to sit cross-legged
c. : to take or keep a balanced position with knees fully bent and heels raised
d. : to stay persistently or obstinately seated : sit still and do nothing
however solidly the officers of the court might squat on their chairs — Earle Birney
3.
a. : to settle on land without right or title or payment of rent
b. : to settle on public land under government regulation with the purpose of acquiring title
c. : to occupy without permission an abandoned or unguarded empty house
4. of a ship : to settle by the stern when under way at speed
5. of a clay ware : to soften gradually and slump down
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from squatten to crush, squat
1. chiefly dialect : a heavy fall or blow
2.
a. : the act of squatting, crouching, or sitting
b. : the posture of one that squats
horse threw himself into a squat — F.B.Gipson
3.
a. : a place where one squats ; especially : the lair of a small animal
squat of a hare
b. : a piece of land claimed by a squatter
4. dialect
a. : a small mass of ore
b. : a mineral consisting of tin ore and spar
5. : the amount of squatting of a ship under way
allowance for the well-known squat of Great Lakes vessels when close to the bottom in narrow channels — Survey Graphic
III. adjective
( squat·ter ; squat·test )
Etymology: from past participle of squat (I)
1.
a. : bent into a sitting position typically resting the weight on the balls of the feet with the haunches close above the heels
the catcher, squat and ready for the pitch
b. : sitting on the ground with the body hunched and the legs bent
sitting squat around the fire
c. : crouching with the chest and belly close to the ground
a hare squat on the hillside
2. : marked by closeness to the earth, lowness, or disproportionate thickness suggestive of a person squatting : gracelessly thick and wanting height or pleasing stature
a squat red smokestack between two stumpy masts — George Santayana
Synonyms: see stocky
IV. noun
1. : a lift in weight lifting in which the lifter performs a knee bend while holding a barbell on the shoulders ; also : a competitive event involving this lift
2. chiefly Britain : an empty house or building that is occupied and shared by squatters
3. slang : diddly-squat herein : nothing