squat

[skwot] /skwɒt/
verb (used without object), squatted or squat, squatting.
1.
to sit in a low or crouching position with the legs drawn up closely beneath or in front of the body; sit on one's haunches or heels.
2.
to crouch down or cower, as an animal.
3.
to settle on or occupy property, especially otherwise unoccupied property, without any title, right, or payment of rent.
4.
to settle on public land under government regulation, in order to acquire title.
5.
Nautical. (of a vessel, especially a power vessel) to draw more water astern when in motion forward than when at rest.
verb (used with object), squatted or squat, squatting.
6.
to cause to squat.
7.
to occupy (property) as a squatter.
adjective, squatter, squattest.
8.
(of a person, animal, the body, etc.) short and thickset.
9.
low and thick or broad:
The building had a squat shape.
10.
seated or being in a squatting position; crouching.
noun
11.
the act or fact of squatting.
12.
a squatting position or posture.
13.
a weightlifting exercise in which a person squats and then returns to an erect position while holding a barbell at the back of the shoulders.
14.
Nautical. the tendency of a vessel to draw more water astern when in motion than when stationary.
15.
Slang. doodly-squat.
16.
a place occupied by squatters.
Origin
1250-1300; (v.) Middle English squatten < Old French esquater, esquatir, equivalent to es- ex-1 + quatir < Vulgar Latin *coactīre to compress, equivalent to Latin coāct(us), past participle of cōgere to compress (co- co- + ag(ere) to drive + -tus past participle suffix) + -īre infinitive suffix; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.; (adj.) Middle English: in a squatting position, orig., past participle of the v.
Related forms
squatly, adverb
squatness, noun
Synonyms
8. dumpy, stocky, square.
Examples from the web for squat
  • At the live shows, the researchers tested pain by having participants squat against a wall until they collapsed.
  • All of these factors will add up to precisely squat effect on initial sales.
  • DiA, you clearly know diddly squat about basic economics.
  • The robot was built for three levels of crouching, from barely crouching to a deep-seated squat.
  • They left the command post for the squat plastic ranks of simulators.
  • All of that courage and frankness wouldn't mean squat if the movie was poorly made.
  • Twenty-foot-long, squat fish eater with a three-foot pancake-flat head.
  • Instead of coming in briefcase-sized packaging, the powders are in squat boxes not much bigger.
  • They found diddley squat as evidence to support genocide charges.
  • SO all these rankings tell squat about the quality of education one receives in a university.
British Dictionary definitions for squat

squat

/skwɒt/
verb (intransitive) squats, squatting, squatted
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.
(law) (transitive) 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, adverb
squatness, 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
Word Origin and History for squat
v.

early 15c., "crouch on the heels," from Old French esquatir "press down, lay flat, crush," from es- "out" (from Latin ex-) + Old French quatir "press down, flatten," from Vulgar Latin *coactire "press together, force," from Latin coactus, past participle of cogere "to compel, curdle, collect" (see cogent). Related: Squatted; squatting. Slang noun sense of "nothing at all" first attested 1934, probably suggestive of squatting to defecate. The adjective sense of "short, thick" dates from 1620s.

Slang definitions & phrases for squat

squat

noun
  1. Excrement: Don't step in the squat (1930s+)
  2. Nothing; zero; diddly, zilch, zip: She's got squat to do with that kind of shit/ You can't do squat anyway these days (1934+)
verb
  1. To sit: Hey, squat there a minute and I'll be right with you (1768+)
  2. To defecate; shit, take a dump (1940s+)
Related Terms

not give a damn, not know beans, take a dump