crotch meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

crotch

noun

US /kɹɑt͡ʃ/ · UK /kɹɒt͡ʃ/

Etymology Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely: * From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook. * From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”).

The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.

Every mile they rode their crotches felt worse saddlepain.
We were turned at a slight angle to each other, our shoulders touching and I put my hand on his crotch. Miles seemed to be expecting it. He chuckled, took a pair of compasses and jammed them into the door above the latch. This was called ‘sporting the oak’ and was the recognized way of locking oneself in. Over the next eighteen months we sported our oaks with great frequency.1984, Hallam Tennyson, “Needful Parts”, in The Haunted Mind: An Autobiography, London: André Deutsch, →ISBN, page 46:

Euphemistic, Slang Either the male or female genitalia.

He cringed at being kicked in the crotch.

The area where something forks or branches: where a ramification takes place.

There is a child sitting in a crotch of that tree.
In one crotch of the old peach-tree, just by the wall, sat a second cousin of the little eight-eyed fellow we had left up stairs, with her web spread on the most geometric model, and a young and promising family of spiders and spideresses practising gymnastics in the fairy rigging; […]1836 September, J. H. P., “Spiders and their Moral”, in The Western Messenger; Devoted to Religion and Literature, volume II, number 2, Louisville, Ky.: […] [T]he Western Unitarian Association; Boston, Mass.: James Munroe & Co. […], published 1837, page 122:

1 more example

Tarzan wondered if he would stalk him to his cabin door. He hoped not, for that would mean a night’s sleep curled in the crotch of a tree, and he much preferred the bed of grasses within his own abode. But he knew just the tree and the most comfortable crotch, if necessity demanded that he sleep out.1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 121:

Ball games, Billiards, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table.

Media, Publishing, Typography The open counter (negative space) formed by two downward strokes that meet at an internal acute angle, potentially above a vertex, as in the letters "V" and "Y".

Antonyms: branch
Derived terms: crotchal, crotchbulge, crotchful, crotch itch, crotchless, crotchling
Related terms: could eat the crotch out of a low flying duck, crotch chain, crotch crickets, crotch critter, crotch-dropping, crotchdropping, crotch dropping, crotch dumpling, crotch fruit, crotch goblin, crotch rocket, crotch rot, crotch spawn, crotch tent, drop crotch, drop-crotch, fire crotch, fire-crotch, lightning crotch, snap crotch, swamp crotch
Hyponyms: finger crotch, split crotch
Meronyms: crotchline, crotch seam

crotch

verb

7 senses

1To provide with a crotch; to give the form of a crotch to.
2To notch (a log) on opposite sides to provide a grip for…
3To shoplift or smuggle by hiding between one's thighs or…
4To hit in the crotch (genital region).
5To secure (the boom) to the boom crotch (a forked pole).
6To hang (a rope) over a crotch in a tree so that the…
7To remove overgrown wool from around the eyes of.

To provide with a crotch; to give the form of a crotch to.

to crotch the ends of ropes in splicing or tying knots

US, Western, Historical To notch (a log) on opposite sides to provide a grip for the dogs that will haul it.

Timber industry

To shoplift or smuggle by hiding between one's thighs or in one's underwear.

I remember crotching a bottle of Corona out of a pub on Commercial Drive and nursing it with Cancer as we stumbled towards my car .2008, Patrick Blennerhassett, Monument, page 182:
I crotched them. I put them in my underwear.2014, Ryan Patrick Sullivan, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, page 107:

1 more example

Techniques used: the woman rolled four coats and crotched them (placed them under her dress and held them between her thighs), and each of the men wrapped three coats around his midsection2020, Charles A. Sennewald, Curtis Baillie, Effective Security Management, page 136:

To hit in the crotch (genital region).

Flair and Paisley flirted until Daffney crotched David from behind with a baseball bat.2002, Pat McNeill, The Tables All Were Broken=, page 4:
Pillman gets crotched on the top rope and barely kicks out of a superplex.2015, James Dixon, Bob Dahlstrom, Benjamin Richardson, The Nitro Files: 1995, page 10:

1 more example

Calhoun turns around and Leo is facing him and he crotched him.2013, Steven Johnson, Greg Oliver, Mike Mooneyham, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons:

Nautical, Sailing, Transport To secure (the boom) to the boom crotch (a forked pole).

[…] when she begins to go astern, let go the anchor, brail up the spanker, crotch the boom, haul taut the guys, light-to the cable, as fast as she will take it, until a sufficient scope is out, when stopper.1864, William N. Brady, The Kedge-anchor, Or Young Sailor's Assistant, page 192:
I always crotched the boom while reefing, and made an easy job of it, the boat, in the meantime, taking perfect care of herself on any point of sailing, under jib and jigger.1907, H.R. Stiles, “Notes on Rigging”, in Thomas Fleming Day, editor, The Rudder, volume 18, page 611:

1 more example

The big coiled throat and peak halyards were made ready to run, and the mainsheet was put to the winch ready for crotching the boom.1969, Yachting - Volume 125, page 319:

To hang (a rope) over a crotch in a tree so that the ends hang down from opposite sides.

The safety sling should be tied immediately after the climber has crotched his rope as high and as close to the trunk as possible.1935, United States. National Park Service. Branch of forestry, Tree Preservation Bulletin - Issues 1-9, page 9:
If it is necessary, however, to climb directly onto the limb where the rope is crotched, the limb may be approached as shown in Figure 32.1955, A. Robert Thompson, Rope, Knots and Climbing, page 11:

1 more example

The climbing line shall be crotched as soon as practicable after the employee is aloft, and a taut-line hitch tied and checked.1999, Robert H. Griffin, Safety and Health Requirements Manual: U.S. Army Corps, page 563:

To remove overgrown wool from around the eyes of.

Cattle and sheep purchased by contract for a specific consignee at point of origin, and moving on through billing to points beyond Denver, may be stopped at Denver to be weighed, classified, sorted, inspected, delivered, tagged, faced, crotched, and/or diverted for a charge of $7.50 per car or per truck in lieu of yardage.1948 April 27, “Production and Marketing Administration”, in Federal Register, volume 13, page 2265:
My father crotched the ewes before they gave birth, and then played midwife to entire flocks once they started lambing in late April, often with the help of Rusyn peasants who knew just when to show up every year and who seemed fond of my tall, independent father.2011, Andrew Krivak ·, The Sojourn:

2 more examples

He was meant to be crotching the sheep that day, and crotching, as is well known in rural circles, is very thirsty work.2013, Reginald Wells, At Daytrap: Tales from a farmhouse at Daytrap:
If you can get your mob marked, crotched and over to Wilga by then, they can be done with mine.2014, Tamara McKinley, Matilda's Last Waltz:

Related terms: crotch down