1. A heavy fall or bump; a severe or violent jar or jolt. Now north. dial.
c. 1350. Ipomedon (Kölbing), 4352. Yche myghte se, where he laye. I trowe, here leman had a squate [rhyme that].
1513. Douglas, Æneid, X. vii. 108. [He] tumlyt from hys hie cart chargit quhar he sat, And on the grund reboundis wyth a squat.
1545. Raynald, Byrth Mankynde, Hh iij. Thone by a fal from her horse, the other by a violent thrust and squat on the buttocks vpon the hard stones. Ibid. By the force of the fall and squat, the matrice vaynes brake.
a. 1633. G. Herbert, Wks. (1859), II. 298. Bruises and squats and falls which often kill others can bring little grief or hurt to those that are temperate.
1675. J. S[mith], Horolog. Dial., 24. It might be some accidental injury in the conveiance from one place to another, as sometimes happens by jogs or Squats which loosen either pins, wedges or screws.
1812. Sporting Mag., XXXIX. 46. But ambling round an ugly post, A squat poor Bobby made.
1847–. in N. Cy. and Cumbld. glossaries (in form swat).
b. A bruise, contusion, or wound, esp. one caused by a fall; a dent or indentation. Now dial.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 238. The same herbe … is good to be layde on with wool upon squats or bruses.
a. 1691. Aubrey, Wilts. (Royal Soc. MS. p. 127) (Halliw.). In our Western language squat is a bruise.
1697. R. Peirce, Bath Mem., I. ix. 186. His Illness first came after a Sqat upon his Hand; to which fell a Humour, and made it a Running Sore.
1775. Ash, Squat,… a bruise, a hurt by falling; but this is a local sense.
1868–. in dial. glossaries (Glouc., Som., Wilts., Berks.).
c. A heavy shower, Obs.–1
c. 1630. Risdon, Surv. Devon (1810), 121. Haldon-Hill…, whereof the borderers … had this adage: When Haldon hath a hat, Let Kentowne beware a squat.
† 2. A company of daubers. Obs.–0
Only in lists of ‘proper terms.’
c. 1450. Porkington MS. 10, in Philol. Trans. (1909), 54. A squat of davberis.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, f vj b.
† 3. At (the or a) squat, in a squatting or crouching attitude, esp. that assumed by a hare when sitting. Obs.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 421. One runneth so fast you will neuer catch hir, the other is so at the squat, you can neuer finde hir.
1622. Breton, Strange Newes, Wks. (Grosart), II. 6/1. Hunting they vse little, but to finde a Hare at squat.
1670. J. Smith, Eng. Improv. Reviv’d, 191. You may chance to see … on the ground a brace or two of Hares at squot.
1693. Dryden, etc., Juvenal, x. (1697), 261. An old Grandam Ape, when, with a Grace, She sits at squat, and scrubs her leathern Face.
fig. 1623. Wotton, Lett. (1907), II. 280. The Rhetian business and the League depending thereon, which made so full a cry is, methinks, at a squat.
1732. Pope, Ep. Cobham, 56. And ev’ry child hates Shylock, tho’ his soul Still sits at squat, and peeps not from its hole.
4. The act of squatting, crouching, or sitting down close to the ground, spec. on the part of a hare.
1584. in Cl. Robinson, Handful Pleas. Delights (Arb.), 29. To see … Her [i.e., the hare’s] trips and skips,… With squats and flats, which hath no pere.
1601. Deacon & Walker, Spirits & Divels, 208. You are like to the hunted Hare which scuddeth hither and thether, and standeth in feare at euerie squat.
1615. Markham, Country Contentm., I. i. The Huntsman cunning to undoe intricate doubles, Skips, Squats and windings.
1806. Bloomfield, Wild Flowers, 43. Grace by the tumbril made a squat.
1838. Holloway, Prov. Dict., s.v., A hare is said to Squat or go to Squat when she lies up in the chase.
1872. C. King, Mountain. Sierra Nev., x. 214. I noticed one mule after another give a little squat.
† 5. a. To take squat, to seek safety by squatting or hiding. Obs.
1580–3. Greene, Mamillia, Wks. (Grosart), II. 63. The Foxe seeing his marrow almost kild with the dogges, is a foole, if he take not squat. Ibid. (1592), Philomela, Wks. (Grosart), XI. 138. Though the Hare take squat she is not lost at the first defaute.
† b. The place where an animal squats or crouches down in order to escape observation; spec. the form or lair of a hare. Also fig. Obs.
1590. Cokaine, Treat. Hunt., B iv b. The Huntsman should blowe a call, that all that be in the field may repayre to him, and beate for the squat of the Hare.
1601. Deacon & Walker, Answ. Darel, 163. You are to too afraid to tarrie ouer long in a squatte: the following crie of the Hounds is so hotte in your eares.
1624. Quarles, Job Militant, xiii. Their deepe-mouth’d Art … ne’r could start … That Game, from squat, they terme, Felicity.
1673. Hickeringill, Greg. F. Greyb., 8. Thou hadst better have sat For ever on thy squatt.
8. A squatting attitude or posture.
1886. Bicycling News, 24 Sept., 767/2. The cross-legged ‘squat’ is as natural an attitude to the sovereign as to the meanest beggar.
7. The fact of settling down in the water.
1905. Sci. Amer., 7 Jan., 7/1. To the loaded draft there should be added about four feet for ‘squat,’ when running at full speed.
