verb

adopt a position where the knees are bent and the upper body is brought forward and down, typically in order to avoid detection or to defend oneself.

we crouched down in the trench

squat (down),duck (down),hunker down,bob down,hunch over,bend (down),stoop (down),bow (down),kneel (down),cower,cringe,shrink,huddle,scooch

noun

a crouching stance or posture.

he dropped into a defensive crouch