hunker down

hunker down
verb
1. sit on one's heels (Freq. 1)
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In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting

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The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm

• Syn: ↑squat, ↑crouch, ↑scrunch, ↑scrunch up, ↑hunker
• Derivationally related forms: ↑squat (for: ↑squat), ↑squatting (for: ↑squat)
• Hypernyms: ↑sit, ↑sit down
• Verb Frames:
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Something ——s

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Somebody ——s

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Somebody ——s PP

2. take shelter
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During the sandstorm, they hunkered down in a small hut

• Hypernyms: ↑hide, ↑hide out
• Verb Frames:
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Somebody ——s

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Somebody ——s PP

3. hold stubbornly to a position
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The wife hunkered down and the husband's resistance began to break down

• Hypernyms: ↑stand pat, ↑stand firm, ↑hold firm, ↑stand fast
• Verb Frames:
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Somebody ——s


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hunker down — Hun ker down, v. 1. to crouch or squat; to sit on one s haunches. [PJC] 2. to settle in at a location for an extended period; also (figuratively) to maintain a position and resist yielding to some pressure, as of public opinion. [PJC] 3. to take… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hunker down — phrasal verb [intransitive] Word forms hunker down : present tense I/you/we/they hunker down he/she/it hunkers down present participle hunkering down past tense hunkered down past participle hunkered down 1) mainly American to sit close to the… …   English dictionary

  • hunker down — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you hunker down, you bend your knees so that you are in a low position, balancing on your feet. [AM] [V P on n] Betty hunkered down on the floor... [V P beside n] He ended up hunkering down beside her. Syn: squat 2) PHRASAL… …   English dictionary

  • hunker down — to stay in a place or situation. Members of Congress were hunkered down for weeks of debate on the issue. It had been raining since early morning, a perfect day to hunker down behind the computer and get some work done …   New idioms dictionary

  • hunker down — get ready to lift or work, prepare to make an effort    To achieve our sales goals, we all have to hunker down …   English idioms

  • hunker down — apply oneself seriously to a task. → hunker …   English new terms dictionary

  • hunker down — verb a) To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task. b) To stubbornly hold to a position …   Wiktionary

  • hunker — ► VERB 1) squat or crouch down low. 2) (hunker down) apply oneself seriously to a task. ORIGIN probably related to German hocken …   English terms dictionary

  • hunker — (v.) to squat, crouch, 1720, Scottish, of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source, Cf. O.N. huka to crouch, hoka, hokra to crawl. Hunker down, Southern U.S. dialectal phrase, popularized c.1965, from northern British hunker haunch.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • hunker — UK [ˈhʌŋkə(r)] / US [ˈhʌŋkər] verb Word forms hunker : present tense I/you/we/they hunker he/she/it hunkers present participle hunkering past tense hunkered past participle hunkered Phrasal verbs: hunker down …   English dictionary

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