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hunker

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(huŋ′kər)

intransitive verb

to settle down on one's haunches; squat or crouch: often with down

Origin: orig. dial., prob. < or akin to Faroese hokna, to crouch < ON hokra, to creep < IE *keuk- (< base *keu-, to bend) > Sans čúčīm, to cower

noun

haunches
buttocks; rump

See hunker in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb hun·kered, hun·ker·ing, hun·kers

To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.
To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.
To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: “As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling” (Time).

noun hunkers

The haunches.

Origin:

Origin: Perhaps of Scandinavian origin

Origin: ; akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch

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