Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense squats, present participle squatting, past tense, past participle squatted
1. verb
If you squat, you lower yourself towards the ground, balancing on your feet with your legs bent.
He squatted, grunting at the pain in his knees. [VERB]
We squatted beside the pool and watched the diver sink slowly down. [VERB]
He came over and squatted on his heels, looking up at the boys. [VERB + on]
Synonyms: crouch down, sit on your heels, hunker down [US, informal], sit on your haunches More Synonyms of squat
Squat down means the same as squat.
Albert squatted down and examined it. [VERBPARTICLE]
She had squatted down on her heels. [VERBPARTICLE preposition]
Squat is also a noun.
He bent to a squat and gathered the puppies on his lap.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe someone or something as squat, you mean they are short and thick, usually in an unattractive way.
Eddie was a short squat fellow in his forties with thinning hair.
...squat stone houses.
Synonyms: low, short, stunted, stumpy More Synonyms of squat
3. verb
People who squat occupy an unused building or unused land without having a legal right to do so.
You can't simply wander around squatting on other people's property. [VERB]
They earn their living by squatting the land and sharecropping. [VERB noun]
4. countable noun
A squat is an empty building that people are living in illegally, without paying any rent or any property tax.
After returning from Paris, David moved to a squat in Brixton.
Thomas now faces eviction from his squat.
squat in British English
(skwɒt)
verbWord forms: squats, squatting or squatted(intransitive)
1.
to rest in a crouching position with the knees bent and the weight on the feet
2.
to crouch down, esp in order to hide
3. (transitive) law
to occupy land or property to which the occupant has no legal title
4. weightlifting
to crouch down to one's knees and rise to a standing position while holding (a specified weight) behind one's neck
adjective
5. Also: squatty (ˈskwɒtɪ)
short and broad
a squat chair
noun
6.
a squatting position
7. weightlifting
an exercise in which a person crouches down and rises up repeatedly while holding a barbell at shoulder height
8.
a house occupied by squatters
Derived forms
squatly (ˈsquatly)
adverb
squatness (ˈsquatness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French esquater, from es-ex-1 + catir to press together, from Vulgar Latin coactīre (unattested), from Latin cōgere to compress, from co- + agere to drive
squat in American English
(skwɑt)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈsquatted or ˈsquatting
1.
to crouch so as to sit on the heels with the knees bent and the weight resting on the balls of the feet
2.
to crouch or cower close to the ground: said of an animal
3. US
to settle on land, esp. public or unoccupied land, without right or title
4. US
to settle on public land under regulation by the government, in order to get title to it
5.
to occupy illegally an empty, abandoned, or condemned house, building, apartment, etc.
verb transitive
6.
to cause to squat
usually reflexive
adjectiveWord forms: ˈsquatter or ˈsquattest
7.
crouched in a squatting position
8.
short and heavy or thick
noun
9.
the act of squatting
10.
the position taken in squatting; crouching posture
11.
a dwelling used by a squatter
12. US, Slang
a.
anything: used in a negative construction signifying “nothing or a very small amount”
he doesn't know squat about it
b.
nothing
13. Weightlifting
a type of exercise in which a person holding a barbell at shoulder height squats,then stands erect
Derived forms
squatly (ˈsquatly)
adverb
squatness (ˈsquatness)
noun
Word origin
ME squatten < MFr esquatir < es- (L ex-), intens. + quatir, to press flat < VL *coactire < L coactus, pp. of cogere, to force, compress: see cogent
Examples of 'squat' in a sentence
squat
The squat sandstone building stands on a hill near the war memorial.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
People squat on the ground and watch the world go by.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Return back to a squat position then jump up as high as possible.
The Sun (2012)
Try squats and lunges to boost leg strength or bench pressing weights to boost the upper body.
The Sun (2014)
Jump as high as you can again and land in squat position.
The Sun (2014)
At the bottom he does explosive squat thrusts.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
When landing drop back into a squat position and keep repeating.
The Sun (2012)
Chair squats were another exercise that could be done in front of the box.
The Sun (2006)
When landing drop back into a squat position.
The Sun (2012)
Lower into a squat position then jump forward as far as you can.
The Sun (2012)
Lower into squat, then jump up fast aiming to jump as high as possible.
The Sun (2012)
In short, the squat simultaneously builds muscle and burns fat.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The squat 1930s building is almost entirely obscured by huge blast walls and coiled razor wire.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
For best results, do a little jump after each squat.
The Sun (2012)
But not anyone could have them, no matter how many squat thrusts they hammer out daily.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They move to Walford to get away from their families and cause trouble by squatting in a house.
The Sun (2009)
Jump up one to two inches off the floor, then bend both knees back into a squatting position to land.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There was a squat stone tower on that clifftop, windows long gone but with a view all the better for that.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You are perfectly OK doing exercises such as squats and lunges without weights.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Do 15 reps, taking three seconds to squat and one to jump up.
The Sun (2014)
The buildings in which homeless people squat are in the vast majority of cases empty and derelict, often offering little more protection than rough sleeping.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Aim for three sets of 15 reps, taking three seconds to squat down and one to jump up.
The Sun (2011)
He is built like a sprinter used to be, short and squat, with strong legs and a deep laugh.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
squat
British English: squat VERB
If you squat, you lower yourself towards the ground, balancing on your feet with your legs bent.
We squatted beside the pool and watched the diver sink slowly down.
American English: squat
Brazilian Portuguese: agachar-se
Chinese: 蹲下
European Spanish: ponerse en cuclillas
French: s'accroupir
German: sich hinhocken
Italian: accovacciarsi
Japanese: しゃがむ
Korean: 쪼그리고 앉다
European Portuguese: agachar-se
Latin American Spanish: ponerse en cuclillas
British English: squat ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone or something as squat, you mean they are short and thick, usually in an unattractive way.
He was a short squat fellow in his forties with thinning hair.
American English: squat
Brazilian Portuguese: atarracado
Chinese: 蹲下
European Spanish: retaco
French: trapu
German: gedrungen
Italian: tarchiato
Japanese: ずんぐりした
Korean: 땅딸막한
European Portuguese: atarracado
Latin American Spanish: retacón
British English: squat NOUN
Squat is also a noun.
He bent to a squat and gathered the puppies on his lap.
American English: squat
Brazilian Portuguese: agachamento
Chinese: 蹲
European Spanish: cuclillas
French: position accroupie
German: gedrungene Haltung
Italian: posizione accovacciata
Japanese: しゃがむこと
Korean: 쪼그리고 앉음
European Portuguese: agachamento
Latin American Spanish: cuclillas
Chinese translation of 'squat'
squat
(skwɔt)
vi
(also squat down) 蹲下 (dūnxià)
(= be sitting) 蹲坐 (dūnzuò)
(on property) 擅自占(佔)用 (shànzì zhànyòng)
n(c)
(= illegally occupied building) 擅自占(佔)用的建筑(築) (shànzì zhànyòng de jiànzhù)
adj
[person]矮胖的 (ǎipàng de)
[shape]低矮的 (dī'ǎi de)
(verb)
Definition
to crouch with the knees bent and the weight on the feet
He came over and squatted on his heels, looking up at the boys.