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hun·ker

(hŭngkər)

intr.v. hun·kered, hun·ker·ing, hun·kers

1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.

2. To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.

3. To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: "As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling" (Time).

n. hunkers

The haunches.

[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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