Definition

1. Verb:

   • To sit on one's heels with the knees bent and the buttocks near or touching the heels: This is the primary physical action of lowering the body into a crouching position.
   • To occupy an unused building or land without legal permission or payment: This meaning refers to the act of residing in a place unlawfully.
   • To be disproportionately short and wide; to be low to the ground: This describes the characteristic of an object or building.

2. Noun:

   • The act or position of squatting: The state of having the body lowered into a crouch.
   • A small, worthless amount: (Slang) A trivial quantity, often used in the phrase "don't know squat."
   • An exercise involving repeatedly lowering into a crouching position: A physical exercise to strengthen the leg muscles.

3. Adjective:

   • Short and thick; low and broad: Describing something or someone that is short and solidly built, often with a low center of gravity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • She had to squat to look at the flowers. (Physical action)
  • The activists decided to squat in the abandoned factory. (Illegal occupation)
  • The old cottage squatted low among the trees. (Being low and wide)

• Noun:

  • He held a deep squat for thirty seconds. (Position)
  • I don't know squat about quantum physics. (Slang for "nothing")
  • She does twenty squats every morning as part of her workout. (Exercise)

• Adjective:

  • The squat tower was a distinctive feature of the landscape.
  • He was a squat, powerful man.

Advanced Usage

• "To squat on one's heels": Emphasizes the precise posture of the squat.

  • The gardener squatted on his heels to pull the weeds.

• "A squat toilet": A type of toilet installed at floor level, requiring the user to squat.

  • The bathroom was equipped with a squat toilet.

Variants and Related Words

• Squatter (n): A person who occupies land or a building without legal title.
  • The squatters were evicted from the property.
• Squatty (adj): (Informal) Another word for squat; short and thick.
  • The squatty little car was easy to park.

Synonyms

• Verb (to crouch): Crouch, hunker (down).
• Adjective (short and broad): Dumpy, stubby, stocky, low-slung.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Squat down: To lower oneself into a squatting position.
  • He squatted down to talk to the child.

Related Idioms

• Not know squat (about something): (Slang) To know nothing about a particular subject.
  • When it comes to car engines, I don't know squat.
• Hot squat: (Slang, archaic) An electric chair (for execution).
  • The criminal was sent to the hot squat.

Adjective

1. having a low center of gravity; built low to the ground
2. short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature
   • some people seem born to be square and chunky
   • a dumpy little dumpling of a woman
   • dachshunds are long lowset dogs with drooping ears
   • a little church with a squat tower
   • a squatty red smokestack
   • a stumpy ungainly figure

Noun

1. the act of assuming or maintaining a crouching position with the knees bent and the buttocks near the heels
2. a small worthless amount
   • you don't know jack
3. exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles

Verb

1. occupy (a dwelling) illegally
2. be close to the earth, or be disproportionately wide
   • The building squatted low
3. sit on one's heels
   • In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting
   • The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm