What is "squatted"

Squat \Squat\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Squatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Squatting.] [OE. squatten to crush, OF. esquater, esquatir (cf. It. quatto squat, cowering), perhaps fr. L. ex + coactus, p. p. of cogere to drive or urge together. See Cogent, Squash, v. t.]

1. To sit down upon the hams or heels; as, the savages squatted near the fire.

2. To sit close to the ground; to cower; to stoop, or lie close, to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.

3. To settle on another's land without title; also, to settle on common or public lands.

vb. (en-past of: squat)

1. v. sit on one's heels; "In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting"; "The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm" [syn: crouch, scrunch, scrunch up, hunker, hunker down]

2. be close to the earth, or be disproportionately wide; "The building squatted low"

3. occupy (a dwelling) illegally

4. [also: squatting, squatted, squattest, squatter]

1. n. exercising by repeatedly assuming a squatting position; strengthens the leg muscles [syn: knee bend, squatting]

2. a small worthless amount; "you don't know jack" [syn: jack, diddly-squat, diddlysquat, diddly-shit, diddlyshit, diddly, diddley, shit]

3. the act of assuming or maintaining a squatting position [syn: squatting]

4. [also: squatting, squatted, squattest, squatter]

1. adj. 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" [syn: chunky, dumpy, low-set, squatty, stumpy]

2. having a low center of gravity; built low to the ground [syn: underslung]

3. [also: squatting, squatted, squattest, squatter]

See squat